Under a Blue Moon
by Leh Star
Summary: I stood my ground as I watched the others come to my aid. Though now it is too late to stop her. It was too late to do anything. I had let her go. And all I feel is numb. HXOC
1. Chapter 1

How he met her, Part 1

…..Hiei…..

Walking down the barren streets of this God-forsaken human city, I tried to stop the bleeding from the bite wound in my side. The battle earlier had left me drained and weak; exhaustion creeping up on me like a silent assassin, waiting to drag me into a dark oblivion. I can barely see or hear my surroundings. My vision was blurred, my hearing was deafened by the constant downpour of water; the rain felt like lead beads pounding on my back. The bleak, yellow lights of the street lamps flickered in the distance, barely giving me any sort of visible line of sight.

My breathing came in low, quivering rasps as I fell against a building, needing the support. I needed to rest for a time. I needed to catch my breath. My black bangs clung to my forehead as the rest of my hair lay flat, hanging about my shoulders, weighted by the pounding rain. As I pushed myself upright to my feet, I staggered and held out my hand on the building for support. I tried to steady myself once more. Once my composure had been regained, I walked on.

I hated feeling like this. I was in a state of vulnerability, my entire being weak. I won't be able to defend myself against another attack. I wanted to stop and find a place to rest, to sleep, but I couldn't take such a chance. If I was discovered by the enemy in this state of being, I won't live for much longer. Then again, they'll most likely find me much faster if I keep exposing myself like this. My thoughts were jumbled and confusing. I wasn't in the right sense of mind to be planning anything.

The gash in my side burned and tore as I continued my walk towards the old hag's temple, if that was the way I was going. I had lost my sense of direction after the rain had started to pour, and with the constant blood loss, I wouldn't have been able to think or see straight anyway. My senses were blurred along with my vision. The rain washed away any scents that would lead me back to where the fox or the detective would be. I'm all on my own, standing for no one but myself, leaning on no one for support, alone, the way it has always been. The way it should be.

I staggered and lost my balance like a drunken man. My cloak flew about me like broken, black wings, torn and ripped and useless. My hand clutched my side in a vice grip, trying desperately to hold in as much blood as it could until my destination had been reached. My head hung low out of pure exhaustion, my mind weary with what's to come. I climbed back onto my feet, not yet ready to give in. I've fought countless enemies and won. The fight against my own weakness will be no different.

I came to a street corner, the light there shining upon me like a spotlight. The rest of the world just a black abyss with me in the middle of it all. No one around to help me stand, no one around to lift me up. I can do that all on my own. I fell to one knee, the weariness taking its toll. The blood flowed freely from the open wound no matter how hard my hand pressed against it. Everything was just a foggy blur, what came in sight and in mind. The sidewalk came in and out of focus as I tried to make sense of my surroundings, tried still to triumph over my lack of discipline. Rain still pounded upon me like lead weights, getting heavier and heavier with each gust of wind that tried to blow me over and knock me down. I closed my eyes trying to will the pain away, trying to feel nothing.

I collapsed, unconscious. I couldn't go on.

……….

Warmth. I feel nothing but warmth around me. It was like a blanket of air around me, and a feeling inside that I couldn't begin to describe if I tried. This feeling nearly made me smile.

There is a certain scent in the air. Familiar scents coming from my own world, the forests and deserts, the air and earth. It was all so familiar, yet unique. There were scents I've never experienced before, a mixture of old and new that swirled around me. There was a hint of rain and tea leaves. I took a deep breath.

Finally I heard music. It was soft, gentle, sad, yet seemingly triumphant. I had heard this song before. I remember being in Kurama's transportation machine. This same melody played from the "radio", as he called it. I had forgotten the name. It wasn't important then, but it seems to be now. I listened intently to the song. I believe the instrument was a piano. The cords strong and melodious yet soothing. I was about to drift back to sleep when it suddenly stopped. I furrowed my brow, not wanting the music to stop.

I felt something like ice upon my forehead. It brushed back my bangs gently, with care. When it left, I suddenly felt very hot and uncomfortable in my own skin. A cold wet cloth was placed upon my forehead. I could feel my bandana still resting upon my forehead. The water seeped into it, further covering my Jagan eye.

I then opened my eyes. The bright light nearly blinding me, making my vision blurred with light. I saw a figure. It was small, its skin shined like the moon, a soft glow of ivory. As my eyes kept trying to focus, I could see the figure's long midnight hair, shining a dark blue hue in the sunlight. Then its eyes. Big dark blue eyes, looking like the ocean at night when the moon was full. They displayed worry and had the aura of a carefree innocence you normally find in a child. When my eyes finally came into focus, I saw that it was a small girl, a tiny angelic looking creature. The thing that tipped me off that I was most certainly NOT in heaven was that she reeked of human.

She reached her hand over towards me, I grabbed her wrist tightly in my hand as I sat up. My glare boring holes into her eyes.

She gasped when I grabbed her. Her eyes held such fear when she looked into mine. She glanced at her wrist in my grasp, then looked back to me. Her other hand slowly came up and was gently placed on mine. She tenderly rubbed the tips of her fingers into the back of my hand perhaps trying to make me let go.

"Um…" She looked down, away from my harsh gaze. "You are… hurting me." She looked back into my eyes with a calming gaze. "Please let go."

How I wanted to crush her tiny wrist in my hand. I just have to squeeze and she'll be in more agony than she's ever known. Filthy little human, daring to look me in the eye as she demanded I release her, but before I gave the thought of breaking her wrist a second glance, I let go. I must be becoming soft as I spend more and more time in the human world, or she uses her pretty blue eyes for more than just seeing.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**How he met her. Part. 2**

…..Hiei…..

She rubbed her wrist, trying to sooth it of its pain. "I'm sorry I startled you." She said with a kind smile.

I raised an eyebrow. She was sorry? She's the one in pain and she was sorry? Humans are impossible to understand. Ignorant and completely idiotic. She should be more worried about herself. Putting her out of her misery would be doing the frail bitch a kind favor, but then I'd have to hear from the toddler. I'd rather be thrown into a pit of snakes then listen to his annoying banter, annoying overgrown diaper rash.

"Why are you apologizing?" I looked at her from the corner of my eye.

"I don't know. I thought it seemed like an appropriate thing to say." She smiled sweetly, warmly, perhaps to try and win my trust. Naive was the thought that came to mind. "You're very jumpy."

I frowned indignantly . "I'm not jumpy."

"Then cautious." She stated shrugging her shoulders. She got up from the small cot we occupied and went to a table with a bowl and utensils. "You hungry? I have my mother's famous recipe for chicken noodle soup if you want any." She brought over the bowl on a tray and set it in front of me.

Normally I would try to avoid eating any food from the human world, but I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw the bowl in front of me. The realization made my stomach start to cramp and churn. I looked to her. She was sitting on the edge of the cot again, waiting for me to accept her offering. I lifted my right hand to grab the metal spoon that lay next to the bowl on the tray, but stopped as this searing, burning pain that shot straight up from my right side in order to mingle within my entire arm. I grabbed my side. The pain nearly unbearable.

I looked down and saw that my shirt was gone, and in it's place, bandages covering my entire torso from my neck to my waist. My left hand up to my elbow and right bicep had been bandaged as well. I hadn't realized just how close to death I was after the battle. No wonder I had lost so much blood. It was more than the gash in my side. I let go of it and came away with blood. I still wasn't healed yet from the infectious bite. Damn it.

The girl had rushed off into another room and came back with a blue bag that had a red cross on it. She quickly set the tray aside and started to cut the bandages on my torso. When the bandages had fallen to the floor, I saw the extent of the damage. Besides the bleeding bite wound in my right side, there were claw marks from my left shoulder down to my navel. Another jagged imprint of teeth had surfaced on my neck, but wasn't as bad as the wound that is currently spilling blood onto the cotton blue sheets.

She took a wet cloth and started to clean the open wound of blood. I merely sat there, allowing her to be useful. When she finished, she rubbed some sort of salve on my skin before re-bandaging my entire torso. She didn't say anything that entire thirty minutes. She intently concentrated on her task, making sure that every wrap around my body was tight enough to hold, but loose enough to allow me breath. She had obviously done this before, perhaps countless of times.

"There you go. You should take it easy from now on, or the wound will open again." She picked up the tray and set it in front of me again. I tried moving my arm again, but the pain prevented me from moving. "I could feed you if you want." She gave a kind smile, once again trying to win my trust.

My pride and injured ego told me I didn't need help, especially from _her_, but the hunger in my stomach and the pain in my side told me otherwise. I looked at her for another moment or two, contemplating my options. I can either keep my pride in check and starve myself, or give in and let the girl spoon feed me.

I decided that option B was the best course of action. I'll humor the girl for a time. Let her play nurse for a while if that's what she wishes. I'll be the one to benefit from this. Not to mention, it'll just give me an excuse not to kill her.

….

One week.. I've been with this girl for one week, and I have never been so bored in my life.

Each day it's a full course meal three times a day. After breakfast she'll change my bandages then go to her work at her tea shop down stairs. She allows me to roam around her small apartment as I wish. There is a television in a far corner of the room opposite a large cushioned chair that I usually occupy my time with. I normally fall asleep after an hour or so of the useless waste that comes on.

On the opposite wall of where the television is, there is a large bookcase lining the entire wall that is filled to the brim. If I'm not busy numbing my mind with the box full of moving pictures, I sit and read whatever she has. Which is, needless t say, a lot. I've learned much useless information about the human world through those books. Their beliefs, cultures, their unending toll of killings for one reason or another. There was even a book on how to court human females and males that was never opened. It was still in its wrapping when I randomly picked it off the shelf. I would've never realized how complicated courtship was in the human world. I couldn't finish the book because of the headache it gave me. I was better off just taking note of Kurama's words of "wisdom" and whatever knowledge he had gained over his human life.

I frequently find myself occupying my time with just watching the girl.

Sitsumi is her name. She is 23. She lives alone and has no living relatives. Her current occupation is owning a tea shop that her tiny apartment sits on top of. Her only friend that I could see is her cat. I didn't care enough to remember its name. From what I can tell, she has no social life whatsoever other than speaking with customers, her employees, and that animal. Normally she's in here, with me, either tending to me wounds, reading in her cushioned chair, practing on her black piano, or playing some sort of game connected to her television.

I thought Yusuke and Kuwabara were strange, but this girl is just indescribable.

When it rained last night, and I was half way off to sleep, she opened her window and sat there, her legs hanging off the edge, letting the rain soak her through. She didn't stop staring at the sky until it stopped raining three hours later. And when she walks, she uses the balls of her feet as support unless she is wearing shoes. Normally, however, she only wears socks that come up to her mid thighs. Then there's that vacant look she gets at times, as if she is going in and out of this reality and into another. When something breaks her from her trance, she jumps as if she had been snuck up on.

What becomes increasingly annoying is her insomnia. I haven't seen her sleep once since I've been here. She is up all night doing one thing or another. In the morning she's always busying herself with something. She just doesn't seem to have an off switch. It's apparent that she doesn't sleep due to the heavy, dark circles under her eyes. It's the only thing that makes her angelic appearance seem more human and real. Other than that, she seems perfectly healthy and vibrant. Her eyes never lost their dark blue luster.

Her style of clothing wasn't entirely unusual. She wore what most humans wore. Jeans, jackets, shirts, her favorite article of clothing, besides a small blue ribbon she has tied to the back of her head in her hair, I found to be her socks. She has three drawers filled to the brim with them. And no, I was not snooping around. I'm just being observant of my surroundings. Some of her clothing didn't fit her. They were too big. Her small frame is three inches shorter than my own. (Not to mention I grew three inches in the last seven years since the last Makai tournament. An inch every two or more years. I'm now 5' 1". There have been two new rulers since Enki won the first. The new ruler is some thunder demon named Taion.) She says she has to get most of her clothing tailored. Which I am not too surprised at.

Unlike other human women, who continuously talk to fill in the empty space, she tends to be silent. She'll occasionally ask me a question, or tell me something about some important event, but she has never tried to pry into my personal life. Her questions are always simple and right to the point. My name, my age, where I am from, my favorite foods. She hasn't even tried to ask about how I received my near fatal wounds. She has been conservative and reserved. In order to seem human, I asked her much the same questions. I'm sure it would seem odd if I didn't take a small interest in her, but normally, we do not speak. I'm actually grateful for this. Less talking, no explanations. I wouldn't have to make up an entire story about my life, seeing as I'm not from this world. So the silence was welcomed. She is a lot less annoying than I thought she would be.

However, the most bizarre thing would be her damned cat. No its not that it sits there like a statue watching me 24/7, its only movement being its tail swishing back and forth, or that its cold, fog grey eyes always seems to know something I don't. It's the fact of its demonic spirit energy. This cat is from my realm, where the nightmares of humans come true and devour everything they hold dear. How it crossed over, or how the girl found it is a complete mystery to me. When I asked, she merely states that she's had it since she was a small child. It also has excellent camouflage. It looks like any normal human house cat, small, lithe. I have been wondering what the cat would want with this girl. She's too skinny to be a meal, has no energy signature to tap into and leach off of, no luxurious home or any sort of wealth to be gained. As far as I know, the girl is completely useless to any demon unless its for their sick pleasure. Seeing as the cat is female, I highly doubt that's the case.

I decided to leave it alone for now. It's not wreaking havoc in the city, devouring humans, or even controlling the girl to do her bidding. It is being a civilized pampered house cat. If that's what it wants, who am I to take it away from her?

I sat in that cushioned chair when the cat jumped into my lap and started to purr, rubbing its face against my person, demanding attention. "Get off, pest." I shoved it off the chair.

"Meow." It glared at me disdainfully. When it walked off, I thought it had given up until the back of the chair fell flat, taking me with it. I flipped over and landed hard on my ass. I looked at the cat. Its front paws on a lever on the side of the chair. I was wondering what that mechanism was for. And now that I know, I can strangle that pitiful excuse for a rat catcher.

It laughed at me, giving hisses, and choked meows as it rolled on the floor. I'm definitely going to kill that cat.

I picked it up by the scruff of its neck and glared at it with intended murder, my fist balled up, ready to give it a one-way ticket to the main land.

"Aww. Milkshakes, are you making friends with, Hiei?" The girl walked in, setting down some bags at the table.

"Meow!" It answered back, running to the girl after I had dropped it.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble, Hiei." She smiled sweetly at me.

"Hn."

"That's good." She rummaged through the bags and came out with a video tape. "I bought a movie today. I was wondering if you would like to watch it with me?" Her eyes gazed at me with a hopeful innocence that some would call cute.

"Hn."

"Great. I'll make the popcorn. Do you like butter on yours?" She grabbed another item from the bag. A small package wrapped in plastic.

I fixed her chair, making the back side stand straight like before. "It doesn't matter."

"Kay. Oh, and sorry I forgot to tell you that the recliner's broken. The foot rest won't come up and the back of the seat… well, I think you figured that out for yourself." She smiled sheepishly before leaving to make the popcorn.

'Hn, stupid girl.'

I took my seat on the… recliner I think she called it. The cat jumped into my lap again. "Meow." It purred incessantly, trying to get me to pet her. She repeatedly went to my hand, rubbing against it. I finally gave in and scratched its ears. The purring became louder after she laid herself comfortably on my left thigh.

"I hate you." I told it. It answered by licking my hand with its sandpaper tongue then laughing at me again.

The girl came back a few minutes later with the popcorn. "I hope you like gory horror movies, Hiei. This ones Suspiria. Ever heard of it?"

"No."

"You'll really like it. You struck me as the gory horror movie type." She put the round, flat disk onto a tray that was then eaten by the box it was connected to. She sat on the floor next to my legs with the popcorn in her lap.

So begins my torture for the night.

Throughout the movie, the girl continued to giggle and stifle laughs as the stabbings and glass mangling continued. At the razor wire scene, even I couldn't contain my amused laughter. Our desensitized insincerity made me believe she was perhaps a psychopath. I already knew my reasons for being highly entertained.

Once the movie was over, I got up and stretched. My aching muscles haven't been used in so long. I'll need to head back to the Makai soon. I know I'll be hearing it from both Mukuro and Koenma. Hn, I'll just tell them I was on vacation. Their agitation won't bother me any. It's not my problem.

I looked down at the girl, wondering why she has yet to move. She was sleeping. Her head was tilted slightly to the side being supported by the recliner. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. Her lips were slightly agape, her long eyelashes laying against her pink cheeks, her hands by her side, limp, unmoving, and her long black hair cascaded down to the floor. Angelic. Childishly angelic. I automatically knew where she would end up after her death. She was much too… pure to be put anywhere else, weak, yes, but nonetheless, she gives nothing but kindness. There is no other place for her in the afterlife.

I felt something hard in my chest take form after I thought about the reality of her imminent death. I quickly dismissed it. It's inevitable. I shouldn't worry about the life of a simple little human, whether she helped me or not, it doesn't matter. My thoughts on the human race won't change just because of on girl; though, a gentle soul she is, humans should all be wiped from the face of the Earth. Every last one of them. There is no room for such weakness to live, and she is no different. No matter how generous she is, she will always be a human.

I kneeled beside her and gently took her in my arms. She was very light in my arms. I took her to her bed and placed her there. She didn't stir. I placed the blanket over her and let her rest. The cat jumped onto the cot, lay on top of the girl, then curled into a little ball to sleep.

I went to the drawer and opened the one she had reserved for me. I took my cloak, my shirt, and made my way to the window where my katana was leaning against the wall. I strapped it to my side after opening the window. The cold night air tickled my face with its presence. I stepped onto the window seat. Looking back at the girl, I saw she was fast asleep along with her cat.

When my eyes drank in their fill of her angelic face once more, I flitted off into the night. Planning on never seeing her again.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**Thinking of you during times I shouldn't.**

…..Hiei…..

Mukuro didn't stop her enraged bantering for an hour. I tuned out after the first ten minutes about how I'm her heir and have certain responsibilities, how I should carry myself inside and outside the walls of her castle, I should be more adept to my honor, she could easily replace me if she wanted to, what was I doing in the human world for so long without contacting anyone?

This is where my mind went elsewhere. Mukuro kept her ranting. I was trying not to fall asleep.

"Is that clear?" She finally finished.

I looked her in the eye bored. "Hn." I turned and started to walk out of her office.

"And, Hiei."

I looked back when I had just opened the door to step out.

"Do you remember the uprising in the north?" I nodded once. "We have someone that might be able to give us some information on these rebellions. I'd like you to talk to him. We also have some guests to entertain. They'll be in the chambers with the informant. Get going." She stated the last part with intended harshness.

I scowled as I walked out of her office. I knew she only wanted me to do it because it'll be a form of punishment. Fine. She can be that way. She's just pissy about the uprisings that are coming from the north and continuously sweeping towards the south. There were demons, unknown to anyone in Makai, that have come to her territory and started preaching nonsense about a prophecy from ten thousand years ago. These demons were the color of ice and their skin shimmered like the newly fallen snow, and their hair ranged from a metalic pearl to a cobalt black. The tinge of blue on their cheeks and lips and fingers gave them an ethereal aura. Even though these demons were immediately silenced, they have done the intended damage. Now hundreds of thousands of low class demons and even middle class demons have started to rebel against any higher authority. Mukuro and her army, Taion, our new ruler, and now their spreading like a disease. Sweeping their beliefs to the rest of Demon World. Yomi has so far gotten a taste of it from his northern borders. We have yet to disband these fools. Mukuro is just taking her frustrations out on me.

As I walked down the halls of the castle, I could hear the rain from outside. A heavy downpour of nothing but water. The image of the girl on the window seat crossed my mind. The lightning flashing occasionally in a harsh glow that seemed to make her radiant. Her tiny frame sitting so still as the water soaked through her white sleeping garments, hiding nothing underneath. The fabric clinging to her like a second skin, showing she wore no undergarments on her chest. Her blue eyed gaze towards the sky, and occasionally her tiny, pink tongue would flick in and out to taste the rain.

I shook my head of those thoughts. She's just a memory. An insignificant human soon to taste the cold grip of death. Once she's gone, there will be nothing for me to want to remember.

I continued my walk to the chambers where the informant would be. I hope my time won't be wasted for nothing. Whatever he has to say, it had better be good. I'm not in the mood to listen to insignificant banter about nonsense. Same goes for these "guests". If none hold my interest, I might just leave.

I came to the chamber doors and walked inside without knocking. When I saw who sat there I wanted to bash Mukuro's head in for making me do this.

"Hiei, your back!" Yusuke swung himself over the couch to come and greet me.

"We were wondering what happened to you Hiei. We haven't seen you in a week. Everyone's been worried about you." Kurama came over to me as well yet in a more dignified manner.

Yusuke had the audacity to put me in a choke hold and start rubbing his fist into my head. "You little devil you. Making us worry to death when you're right here safe and sound." Yusuke had that annoying grin on his face. I quickly took care of that after I uppercut him with my fist, the idiot. "OW FUCK!" he stated.

"Please, join us, Hiei. There is much to discuss." Kurama led me over to the sofas. We left the detective to fend for himself. "Hiei, we would like you to meet Memoru." He introduced me to a small girl sitting on the couch looking no older than 12. Her hair was a mousy brown, her eyes a dark chocolate, and her frame puny. Shrimp seems to be the order of the day. She wore human clothing consisting of a green skirt, a white shirt with a rose on it, a brown cashmere jacket, and eyeglasses making her look like a… what's the word Yusuke uses?

Nerd?

"Memoru, this is Hiei." Kurama finished.

The girl stood and bowed in respect. "It is very nice to meet you, Hiei. I was to meet you a few days ago, but sadly, you were absent at the time. I am very glad to see you are alright." Her voice sounded like chimes in the wind, but she spoke as if she were an intellectual adult instead of a carefree child.

"What is this about, Kurama?" My patience was wearing thin. Whatever they had to say, they better do it quickly.

"Please sit." Kurama took one side of the couch, the girl, Memoru, took the loveseat, Yusuke, after finally picking himself up, sat on the couch next to Kurama, and I stood, signifying that I was not going to be there long. "As you know, there is an uprising going on in Makai."

"Yes, yes. I've heard this already from Mukuro." I interrupted. It's the same song and dance. I'm just about ready to leave these fools and go to sleep.

"Do you know the reason for it, Hiei?"

"Something about a ten thousand year old prophecy. The bastards killed themselves before we could extract any other information from them." It was true. Every time we captured one, he would mysteriously vanish before our eyes leaving nothing but a puddle of water, or they use some means of suicide. We have yet to keep one alive.

"You see, Hiei," Memoru spoke this time. "This prophecy is dating back to the Great War. Have you heard of it?"

"No." My knowledge of my own world is limited to third hand stories and rumors. I never cared much about the past anyway. Whatever was done is done. We can only live in the now.

"You see, ten thousand years ago, the ice dragon, Arare, waged war upon all three worlds. Millions died, humans, demons, and grim reapers alike. King Enma could only contain the fighting to stay in the demonic realm. There was not much he or anyone could do until she wore herself out, which would take centuries or even a few millennia. So there were the elemental mages who sealed her away inside an Aoitsuki. " She paused to take in a deep breath before continuing. "So that's where the prophecy comes into play. It is said that when the hundredth generation of the Aoitsuki is born, Arare shall take over the body on the two hundredth birthday, and try to conquer the three worlds again."

"What do you want us to do? Find him and kill him?" I asked. I had to sit through such a wonderful history lesson. Hurrah.

"Actually, Hiei. We can't do that." Kurama stated, a serious expression on his face. "It would of course be so much easier to merely rid the cause of the problem, but there would be a catch. The Aoitsuki control half of the elements in all three worlds. Killing them could mean complete destruction." He looked to me, calculating his next words. "You probably know the technical term for the Aoitsuki. The Blue Moon Maidens."

My eyebrows rose, my full attention gained. I've heard of these women through countless of tales from when I was still living with the band of thieves from my childhood. They're said to be the most beautiful creatures to have graced the three worlds. They are the most powerful beings ever to set foot in Makai. They are half of the balance of all three worlds. However, I've never met one to ever confirm it. "I thought they died out a hundred years ago." But if they didn't, and the legends of them are true, it would explain why we all still exist.

"Yes. It ended with Ametari the Healer. At least, that's what we thought."

"What do you mean?"

Memoru was the one to answer. "During my research of the rebellion, I have come across many who say that Ametari had given birth to a child long before her death. At first I thought they meant her son, Onni Sawa, heir to throne of the Northern Islands, but they speak of a daughter. However, there are no records of Ametari ever getting pregnant a second time in any of the Reikai files, let alone actually giving birth to another Aoitsuki. We believe she might have hidden her pregnancy and then the child after its birth. Where is the question."

"We highly suspect her to be in the human realm. It would be the safest place for the child to grow up undetected. Then again, we checked every demon signature on the planet twice. We know of nearly every demon that cross the borders from Makai into the Ningenkai. Every single demonic energy has been found and identified. None are the missing child." Kurama's eyes became sullen. I can tell this is an unsettling setback for him.

"So what do we do next?"

"We call in my sisters for help. The missing child could be cloaked. We're not sure how though, but I'm certain my sisters and I can help find her. We'll just need a decent clue."

"Question." Yusuke raised his hand. After all the conversation, I had forgotten he was even here. "Why am I here?" I was wondering that myself.

"We'll be needing a couple of your best trackers. That's also why we came to you, Hiei. We were hoping you and Mukuro could spare us a few of yours."

I stood up, ready to leave. "I don't care. You'll have to speak with her about that. I'm going to bed. I'll see you later." I walked out, ignoring their goodnights and walked to my room.

When I got there, I closed and locked the door behind me. The servants knew well enough not to disturb me, but alas, old habits die hard.

As I undressed, I saw that I hadn't removed the bandages yet. Another image of the girl came to mind. She was changing the bandages on my left arm as she complimented the dragon "tattoo" on my right. She said such words as "cool" and "awesome". Human terms that I believe mean good or great. I frowned when she called it cute. When she saw my expression, she must have thought I looked amusing since she covered her mouth to cease the fits of giggles. It made me frown harder, which in turn, made her laugh harder.

I took a knife from one of the drawers and cut the bandages. I then tossed them into the garbage. I didn't need reminders of her; it would just complicate trying forgetting her.

I pulled the covers from the bed and laid myself under them. I closed my eyes trying to will myself to relax and get some sleep. Her face crept into my mind. I opened my eyes.

I can't stand this. I see her everywhere.

It's sickening, such a deplorable state of weakness. I curse myself for falling into it. If these images start to distract me, I won't be able to survive for long in battle. I need to put her at the back of my mind. Forgetting her would be best, and I'm sure she's doing the same.

I went to grab my mother's tear-gem from around my neck. It usually gave me comfort when I was distressed.

It wasn't there.

I bolted straight up in bed. I looked around for it, felt under the covers, around my body, but came up with nothing. Then I remembered. It's still sitting on top of that girl's dresser. She took it off while she was bandaging me, and I never put it back on.

Damn it. Just damn it.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Meeting the family and getting what's mine**

…..Hiei…..

I wasn't able to go to the girl's home as I had originally planned. Kurama had to be the good son and tell his mother that I would be visiting the city for a while. His mother, being the naïve and caring woman that she is, invited me over to have dinner with her and the rest of the Minamino family. Something about motels being cheaply run and dingy. Whatever the hell a 'motel' is, and I was not in a position to refuse.

So now I'm stuck being house guest for a time, and it is torturous. His mother would always try to make me feel welcome and part of the family during my stay. A pat on the head, an extra helping of desert, or even the teriyaki steak cooked just to my liking. I hated her for her hospitality. I hated her for being kind and generous. I hated her for being the gullible, naïve human that she is. Yet those are the reasons I care for her just the same. I now understand why Kurama would want to stay with her in his retched human body living in this God-forsaken city. The attention she lavishes onto her children would make anyone want to be cradled in her arms like a child.

I curse myself for falling into it.

Kurama and I walked in silence as we came to the steps to his former home. After he had graduated college, he decided to live with Genkai. Mostly because of the portal that leads straight to Gendar in order to continue business with that goat. Right now he and Genkai are helping train Yomi's heir, Shura. And did I mention the new addition to our dysfunctional "family"?

While in Makai, Kurama courted a female fire cat, Naoko. She was wild, unruly, bitchy, sarcastic, and just a plain menace to society. Compared to his calm, cool, cultured, and well- mannered nature, she was his complete opposite in every way. I never saw the connection the two made.

He opened the door and we were greeted with the warm, welcoming smile of the fox's human mother. Kurama went to embrace her as she gave a peck upon his cheek. "Suuichi, I'm so glad you made it home safe and sound, dear." She looked to me, the smile ever present. "Hiei, it is so good to see you. I'm very happy you could stay for a while."

I bowed low to show my respect. "I am thankful to be here, Kaasan."

Kaasan. A demon's term of endearment for another demon's mother. It was rude to not thank the host for the invitation. It may be hard to believe, but it is a sin to not give respect to mothers since they are held in such high regard in the demon world. They birth us, tend to us, raise us, and, if lucky, love us. I just had the misfortune to never know my mother.

"Come in, Hiei. I have your favorite dish cooking in the kitchen."

My mouth watered at the thought.

"Is Naoko here yet, Mother?"

Kaasan nodded. "Why, yes. She's helping me cook dinner."

I felt my face turn a slight shade of green after that comment. The last time Naoko tried to cook… actually, I'd rather not talk about it. I still have nightmares of that meatloaf.

"Thank you, Mother."

"I hope you enjoy your stay with us, Hiei."

"Thank you, Kaasan." Another reason why I hated being here. Being polite was never high on my list of standards, yet when I'm around this human woman, I feel obligated to do so.

She walked back into the kitchen, retying her frilly pink apron along the way.

When she left, another woman popped her head out from the kitchen doorway. She smiled brightly when she spotted Kurama. "Kurama!" She ran to his arms and smothered him with unrelenting affection. "I missed you." She purred, rubbing her cheek against his.

He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I missed you, too." He was about to give her another kiss when her eyes drifted to me.

I frowned as my eyes dared her to touch me.

She jumped out of Kurama's arms and wrapped hers around me. Swinging me around as she crushed my ribcage. "Hiei! I can't believe you're here!" She held me by the arms away from her, my feet dangling a few inches off the ground. "So how was Makai?" She smiled. I had murderous intent in my eyes. Only she would be stupid enough to hold me like a drenched cat. The temperature of my skin rose as I tried to singe her hands. "Oh Hiei, you know I can do that too!" She crushed me in her embrace again raising the temperature of her skin as well. If we became any hotter, we would burst into flames; so in respect to Kaasan's home, I kept control of myself as I tried to gasp for air. I could barely breath because her abnormally large breasts happen to be in the way of my nose and mouth.

"Woman, release me!" I angrily spat at her with what little air I had trying to push away from her. She may not look like it, but Naoko could crush three inch thick steel with her bare hands.

She let go to have me drop to the floor on my ass. "You see, Kurama? Hiei is so mean to me!" She looked to Kurama with her forest green eyes, trying to feign innocence, the dark forbidding truth just below the surface.

"Well you did start it." Kurama calmly stated, hanging his jacket.

She grinned evilly. "Heh, I know." She looked to me with the evil smile, then playfully stuck her tongue out at me before skipping back into the kitchen.

"Fox?"

"Yes, Hiei?"

"I hate your woman."

"I know, Hiei." He knowingly smiled at me, then followed his mate into the kitchen.

Again. I never saw the connection between the two.

As I sat at the dinning table, I noticed that Naoko was pregnant again. The third time. In a few months she'll gain the circumference of a watermelon again. For both their sakes, I hope _this_ pregnancy is successful.

Dinner was, as always, pleasant. Conversation was kept to a minimum. Kaasan stated that she would be alone in the house for another two days, seeing as her husband had a business trip and her step-son, Kokota,(1) is in college. Kaasan was happy to have her family here. Kaasan seemed happy to have _me_ there. I never figured out why, but it did make me feel… welcomed… for just a moment. I was allowed to glimpse into a life I knew would never be mine, but still be able to experience from a distance. It seemed normal, ordinary, and pleasant. Though I would never admit it out loud.

After dinner, Kurama, Naoko, and myself said our goodbyes to Kaasan. She hugged each of us, telling us to be careful on our journey home to Genkai's temple. She told Naoko to take care of the baby. When we finally left, Naoko had an aura of deep sadness about her. One that could only come from a mother who had lost a child before.

When we reached the temple stairway, Kurama lifted his woman into his arms and carried her up. I went ahead, not wanting to be slowed down by a fox and his impregnated cat.

The relationship never made any sense to me. Cats and dogs normally fought tooth and nail over the simplest disputes, but usually about territory in the Makai. Yet here's living proof that the poison of the human world had infected them, deteriorating their demon heritage one brain cell at a time, but as I see them be affectionate towards each other, lavish each other with continuous warmth, unconditional love, undying attention, and just being the happiest I've ever seen two demons be, I find myself envying them.

When I reached the temple grounds I was bombarded with hugs and cheers as little children jumped on me and held on with their tiny fists. I landed hard on my ass, all seven of them on top of me.

"Uncle Hiei! We missed you SOOOOOOOOOO much! Didn't we, Uzu?" Junior, the one who had me by the neck, asked his little brother who sat on my stomach. He looked like miniature of Yusuke.

His little brother nodded, the pacifier bobbing up and down. He also looked like Yusuke except he had Yusuke's woman's hair and eye color.

"Saji too, Saji too." There was a small girl on my right arm, clinging for dear life. Her red eyes were bright and shining as her turquoise hair blew in the light breeze. Her twin brother latched himself onto my left arm so tight I felt the circulation in my arm stop. Their little sister, the youngest of them, was on my back, her tiny fists in my shirt hanging from my shoulder a few inches off the ground.

The other two were grappling my legs, arguing with each other on who I missed more.

"Hey, Hiei! I see the welcoming committee did its job." Yusuke came out of the temple a cheesy grin on his face.

"Yes, they're annoying as ever." I gently picked them up one by one and set them aside. Each one giving small protests, Samui decided to stay on my arm while the two at my legs refused to let go unless the other let go first. The oaf's twins were a pain in the ass. I was stuck with walking with them on my legs, but as soon as I started, the others climbed on like monkeys going up a tree. Junior hung from my neck, Uzu hung off of him, Hieyoru climbed back onto my back, and the two pairs of twins on my arms and legs. Yusuke laughed at my predicament. I'm sure I look ridiculously hilarious right about now.

This is not gonna work.

"If the little children do not release their uncle soon, the closest ones will be devoured." I gave them a malicious look.

Each one of them screamed playfully and ran away.

"You certainly have a way with kids, Hiei." Yusuke said, his grin still on his face as he advanced forward.

I rubbed my shoulder. "They're heavier than they were last time."

"Yeah, they're grown' like weeds."

"Hn." I went ahead to the temple, not wanting to stay for idle chit-chat.

Yusuke got into step with me. "The nerdy girl's here. She's got someone else that'll give us some more information to find the Aoitsuki." He explained casually.

I nodded once to show I was listening. Good. Another informant. The faster we get this wrapped up, the faster I can get my tear-gem back.

….

All of us sat in the living room, each of the adults occupying a seat while the children played with their toys on the floor quietly. All were present except Kuwabara, his wife, Keiko, Shizuru, Jin, and Touya, who decided to stay in the human world to train with Yusuke.

As I looked around at the occupants, the new informant sat beside Memoru. He was an average 13 year-old's height, short black hair with green highlights covered with a black and forest green cap. It was placed backwards, the bangs poked out from the hole above where the adjuster was placed. His clothing was a frayed black tank top and loose camouflage pants that covered the combat boots on his feet. But to be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell whether he was male or female. He had a boyish hairstyle, clothes, and attitude, but the body seemed more feminine than other girls his age.

I looked to the scars adorning his arms. They were claw marks, long, clean cuts. Three marks starting from just below his shoulder then went a little past the bend in his arm.

His dark green eyes looked into mine, catching me staring. He gave no gesture, no comment, no indication that he was disrespected. He merely blew a giant pink bubble from his mouth, letting it pop, then dragged it back into his mouth again. He smiled.

"…Which means that the rebels are coming from the Northern Islands." Memoru finished. I wasn't paying attention to a word she had said. I was too preoccupied with learning the gender of our new guest. "Jade, since you've been to the Northern Islands you can take it from there." Memoru looked to her companion sitting with her on the loveseat.

Jade. That's a girl's name.

"Sure, why not?" She was half hearted about it. Her voice was definitely female. "The Northern Islands have been isolated since the Great War. They saw themselves as being a superior race to the rest of the demon world, so they closed off their borders. Any practices that are done by other demons they see as being barbaric. Like how the Mazoku need to eat human flesh to survive, or how the Koorime can give birth asexually and only to a daughter, or even that some species tend to abandon their children at birth. They saw this as being inferior tendencies and didn't want to be contaminated with it.

"The prophecy of Arare and the Aoitsuki started there since that is the birth place of the two. A few hundred years before the war, legends say that Arare created the Aoitsuki to be her servants and show the three worlds her vast power. She wanted to create something that was so beautiful that any male would instantly fall in love and yadda, yadda."

As Jade paused, Memoru put in a few words. "It is said that if a male gazes upon a Blue Moon Maiden for too long, he will fall in love with her, but the love shall always be unrequited for the Blue Moon Maiden seeks her one true mate who in turn shall deem himself unworthy and leave her forever, no matter how strong their love for each other."

"I am so sick of Romeo and Juliet sotries. SERIOUSLY! What is the.." Jade looked to our bored expressions. She cleared her throat. "So anyway… after the Great War, the mages sealed Arare away inside the womb of an Aoitsuki. If they tried for any other host, it would be instantly taken over. So her creations were the only things that were powerful enough to contain the vast godlike powers of that dragon. Now thousands of years down the line, Arare's spirit energy has recovered enough to where her soul can fully sustain a body. So if she takes over the present Aoitsuki's body, we are in deep shit. The Spell of Water will stop at NOTHING to take back the three worlds." She blew another bubble. "But the problem is," she talked around the gum, "is that the Aoitsuki should be wiped out, finished, done, no more, completely, and utterly obliterated! Kaput! Terminated! GONE.."

"_JADE!_" Memoru put a hand over her mouth to stop her.

"So what's the plan of action?" Yusuke asked, leaning forward to give his full attention.

"First we get permission from Koenma to let the twins come here and help us find the Aoitsuki. Then we'll get yours and Hiei's trackers to start searching for her demonic energy. It won't be easy though seeing as the Human world is pretty big." Memoru explained.

"Good thing we got two years to search." Jade chided with a toothy smile.

"Actually it is one year, eleven months, and twenty five days."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"So with that said, I shall be seeing you at a later date. I need to see Koenma for those papers. It might take a while to convince him to let the twins through. We can only hope. In the mean time, Jade and Genkai will be using 10 of your trackers to scope out the nearby areas and hopefully we'll be able to take out a good 300 kilometer radius by the time I get back!." Memoru stood and said her goodbyes before leaving through a portal of Jade's creation.

Jade, along with ten of Yusuke's and my own demons, followed Genkai to another part of the temple in order to start.

I didn't bother with the goodbyes. It didn't matter. I remained at my perch on the window seat, watching the woods, bidding my time till I can go and retrieve my gem from that girl's house.

A few hours passed before the oaf, his wife, Jin and Touya, made their way back to the temple. It became noisy when they returned.

As I tried to tune out the noise, I felt a tug on my cloak. I looked down to see Hieyoru looking into my eyes, reaching for me, asking to be picked up. I complied. I set her on my lap as she gave me a smile. She is the youngest of the children. Yukina's youngest daughter, and what I hate to admit, my favorite of them. When I found out Yukina was first pregnant, I wasn't sure whether to be angry at the fact that she was impregnated, or happy for her. I had chosen the latter once I saw the smile on my sister's face. I was worried about what the children would look like. If any of them even had any similarities to me, Yukina might figure out that I am actually her long lost brother. That wouldn't bode well.

Luckily, her twins Saji, the eldest, and Samui, the son, looked like her and their father. I was able to breath a sigh of relief until her second pregnancy with Hieyoru. I had been worried about the appearance of this one as well. When she was born, her hair was snow white and her eyes were an ice blue. What worried me were the shape of her eyes. They are just like mine. When no one said anything, I thought I had dodged another bullet, but fate decided to be cruel to me later. I was in the Makai for a few weeks and when I had returned, Hieyoru's hair had grown out. The snowy white bled to midnight black. The same color as my hair. The only remnants of the white hair were left at the tips, and stayed there. As she kept growing, so did her black hair. Again, no one said anything. I still don't see myself in the clear just yet, however.

Hieyoru kept smiling at me. Her perfect white teeth shining in the dim light. I can already tell she'll have boys pooling at her feet. Beautiful thing she is. I gently patted her head. "Have you been good for your parents?" She nodded rapidly. She brought her tiny frail arms around my neck and embraced me in a tight hug. I patted her back.

Hieyoru has always been the quite child. She merely whined when she was hungry, giggled quietly when she was happy, let silent tears fall when she was sad. She is three now and hasn't spoken a word. Yukina has been slightly upset at this. There were no indications toward language. She remained always silent.

She gave a tiny peck on my cheek before she let go. She settled herself into my lap and looked out the window with me. When it was time to go to bed, she had already fallen asleep on my lap. Yukina came through the door and looked at her child in my possession, her soft smile amused. She silently walked over, gently taking her daughter into her arms. "Thank you, Hiei." She whispered to me. I nodded. She took the sleeping child into her room, leaving me there to be alone again. My only company being the moonlight streaming through the window.

I stayed upon my perch, the whispers of the wind softly lulling me to sleep.

….

When I awoke, it was midday. Silence surrounded the temple. I was alone. I smirked. Now I can finally get my gem back.

I got up and let a blanket that had been placed upon me fall to the floor. Yukina must have done that. After folding it and placing it back on the window seat, I walked to the door, only to be dragged and pushed out by Yusuke, Kuwabara, Jin, and Touya.

"What is the meaning of this?" I yelled at them. They immediately clamped their hands over my mouth.

"Shhhhhhh. We can't let them know we're leaving." Yusuke whispered harshly into my ear. We made our way down the stairs to one of their vehicles.

"Yeah, shrimp. If they catch us, they'll make us watch the kids while they spend the day shopping." Kuwabara inputted. He held me around my torso, pinning my arms against my side preventing me from connecting his face with the pavement.

"Ya know dey be wantin ta relax demselves for a good while, but HewWEE dem kids be too much handling for just us fellers." I barely understood a word he had said. He carried one of my legs while Touya had a grip on my other one.

"Sorry for kidnapping you like this, Hiei, but we can't have any one else know where we're going. We'd hate for you to be at the mercy of the girls." Touya tried to explain. My response was a glare seeing as Yusuke had gagged me with his wife beater.

I heard the engine of the vehicle start. They all pushed me in. One piled in after another as Yusuke sped off, leaving whatever fate the women had planned for them that day behind.

….

Damn them all to hell. I was so close to going back and getting my tear-gem. Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE these people? I hope they burn in hell and choke on their crisp embers as they are flogged naked for the sick amusement of the devil himself!

We arrived at our destination. Kurama's work place. They said they were going to pick him up then go on to have a guy's day out. They never told me why I had to be included in their plans.

Kurama ran out, calmly getting into the car. "I do hope you know where you're going, Yusuke." Was the only thing he said before the detective sped off toward our next destination.

….

When we arrived at the restaurant I couldn't help but get a strange feeling. I dismissed it when they finally let me out of the car.

"Ya sure this is the place, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, looking at the building ahead.

"Yup, this is it." Yusuke answered. I hadn't been paying attention to where we were going or where we were. I was too busy dusting myself off, trying to rid of the stench from the human transportation machine, and plotting each of their deaths. "The Blue Moon Café."

I stopped then looked up to the building. I couldn't believe how much fate hated me, how much it liked to toy with my miserable life, how its love of making my life hell was its greatest pleasure.

There in front of us was the girl's tea shop in all its baked goods glory.

My luck had shit dropped on it.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**Here Again**

…..Hiei…..

I tried to find a way get away from them. I thought of running from them, threatening them, and even bribing them to release me. I didn't want to go back in there. I didn't want to see her, but my attempts were futile. They dragged me inside anyway. I had to stop my struggling, not wanting to draw anymore attention. I especially didn't want to draw _her _attention.

The hostess did her job of greeting us and sitting us at her table. This must've been Mei. The girl told me about her. She has short strawberry brown hair, brown eyes, and light make up on her face. What distinguished her from the rest of the employees was her growing stomach. She'll be giving birth in a few months. Sitsumi seemed excited about the baby. It was one of her main topics of choice while I was in her care. I got sick of listening to it after a while. Once you get pounced on by seven kids that aren't even your own, you really don't want any more to worry about.

Our booth was by the window. I sat next to it, hoping to make myself scarce while still acting normal among the rest of the group. Touya sat next to me and Jin, without his horn because of some sort of special ointment the fox gave him, sat at the end. In front of me sat Kurama, then Yusuke, then the oaf.

"Your waitress will be right with you, sirs." Mei gave us the menus and a professional smile before heading off to her post behind the podium.

I put the menu in front of my face, trying to hide. I hoped that she wasn't here, that this was one of her days off and she'll be at the bookstore or movie theatre or, if there is a God out there, that she's on the other side of the globe taking a vacation.

But of course ,that would make things easy.

"Hi." I heard her soft and gentle voice, the welcoming tone and I didn't have to see to know that she had that same bright smile that she seems to always wear. "Welcome, welcome to the Blue Moon Café. I hope you'll have a wonderful meal this evening. I'm Sitsumi and I'll be your waitress." Her tone was cheerful, seemingly delighted to have us here. It was warm and welcoming. I was reminded of why I had stayed so long with her. "So, what'll it be?"

"Vanilla cherry coke (lady) (if ye don mind)!" Yusuke and Jin called out first. Their ending answers being different. They grinned stupidly at each other.

"I'll take the apple juice, pretty lady." Came Kuwabara's reply.

"Tea for me, please." Was Kurama's order. "Make that two, miss." Touya added.

I heard her scribbling the pen onto the notepad, getting down all the orders. It then stopped.

For a moment or two, I could feel her deep blue eyes upon me. Waiting? Glaring? Piercing? I had no clue for I would not meet her gaze.

"I'll be right back with your orders." Her tone was still just as cheerful as when she had come. Still sweet and endearing, completely warm and hospitable. She immediately left.

"Hey wait, you forgot… Dang. Some service. She completely skipped ya, Hiei." Yusuke had tried to call the girl back, but she had already gone to the kitchen. Each of them looked at me, waiting for me to make a snide reply or rude comment.

"Hn." was all that came.

I felt dejected for some reason. There was a bit of disappointment when I didn't receive the same friendly attention that was given to me a few days ago and how it all went to my comrades. It made me feel… unwanted. I grimaced at the thought. How I hate her.

Was she angry that I left? Did she honestly believe that I would stay with her? That I'd actually come to find her amusing? To like her? Was she disappointed in me for leaving? For not saying goodbye? Did she feel as unwanted as I do right now?

I forced the thoughts from my head as she returned with the drinks on a large round tray resting upon her palm. "Here ya go." She set down each of their drinks in turn from the order that they had ordered. Yusuke, Jin, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Touya.. She named each drink in turn, making sure they knew what she was giving them. "And here's your iced mocha latte with cinnamon sugar and extra whipped cream." She set a large cup in front of me with a bendy straw coming from it. I stared at it, the small glass containing the cold thick brown liquid, the pile of whipped cream that sat on top of it like a tiny floating island, and the sprinkle of the cinnamon sugar on top, giving the snowy landscape color and texture. She would regularly give this to me as a treat for "taking care of the cat" while she was gone. I never thought I'd like anything as much as sweet snow… ice-cream.

When I looked up, she was gone. She went to another table to take their orders then headed back into the kitchen.

"Hey. How come Hiei gets a cool drink? He didn't even order anything!" Yusuke complained, his bratty behavior eliciting a quiet snort from me.

"Well, Hiei. It looks to me like you have an admirer." Kurama teased.

"And a pretty little lassie I'll tell ye dat." Jin gave me a playful punch to the shoulder.

I decided to ignore them all and drink what I had been given, wondering if this was a peace offering or perhaps a poison. It didn't matter, it still tasted as wonderful as all the other ones she had given me.

When she returned from serving her other customers, she asked us for our entrees. Each of them ordered and again I was ignored. When she came back, I was served without ordering anything. It was another of my favorites while I had stayed with her; a banana split with two pink scoops and one creamy colored scoop, topped with double whipped cream, nuts, drizzled with chocolate and a sliced strawberry on top. She left before I could say anything.

Yusuke looked at the bill, a questioning look on his face. "Hey, there's a typo on here, girly. You forgot the mocha latte and the banana split."

She looked back at Yusuke, her kind smile reaching her mischievous eyes. "What banana split?" She retreated back into the kitchen.

I wasn't sure what to think of these actions of hers. This was something that I have never seen happened.

On the ride to the arcade I was teased for being at the receiving end of the girl's affection, and lightly scolded for not getting her "number", whatever that entails. Their comments and words of advice were ignored. I pondered over whether I should go back for my tear-gem now, or later.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

**Here Again 2**

…..Hiei…..

I was waiting for Yusuke to stop so that I can open the door and step out without another word since I was conveniently sitting next to the window.

"Hiei, have you ever seen that girl before?" Kurama questioned. I looked at him hesitating on the answer.

"No. I've never seen her before in my life." I declared, looking back out the window. They don't need to know about her. She's just a girl that seems to like to pick up random near fatally injured people off the street. Once I get my necklace back, I can forget all about her.

"Have you been to that restaurant before? She seemed to be very familiar with your likes. I didn't even know you liked mocha lattes, Hiei." He continued to inquire.

"Wit cinnamon sugar and dat whip cream. She seemed te like ye a lot, lady. Ye certainly seem ter be one o dem heart throbs." Jin nudged my side with his elbow. I was restraining not to throw him out the car window.

"No. I've never been there before." I lied. "Can I leave now? I'm sick of being with the five of you."

"Aw, come on, Hiei. It's been forever since we've hung out. You need to lighten up and start hangin' with us more. You never know, you might actually start to enjoy yourself." Yusuke smiled, trying to convince me to stay and be good natured.

He finally came to a red light and I managed to get out of the car. "Not on your life detective." I slammed the door and walked into an alleyway. I first flitted off into a random direction to give the impression I was headed somewhere else, then, when I thought myself far enough away, I ran back to the small tea shop to retrieve what's mine.

……….

I leapt onto the window seat. The window was hanging wide open, so technically I wasn't breaking and entering. I was simply entering, incase anybody asks.

I looked around and saw that everything is as it was from when the last time I was here three days ago. The only difference is that the recliner was gone and in its place sat a love seat.

A song played on her radio. A soft, soothing melody. Blue Moon, I think it was called. Sung by someone who the girl named as the "King of Rock-n-Roll". King or not, this song is depressing. I jumped inside to the middle of the room, making my way to the dresser where I last left my necklace. I first shut off the damn radio, not wanting to listen to the song anymore.

When I looked around, it wasn't there. I looked into her small jewelry box which was filled with one or two meager necklaces and a handful of gold, silver, and plastic rings that you win from one of those prize machines at the mall. My gem was nowhere insight. I started to panic. I looked all around the dresser for it, thinking that it had perhaps rolled off somewhere or was knocked down, or even fell on the floor. Nothing.

I went to her cot to look underneath, I looked inside her piano, under the love seat, behind the desk, the TV, I even looked in the bathroom. I had no luck. My blood started to burn in frustration. Not only did that necklace have my tear gem, but Yukina's as well. When I returned to the human world to tell her that her brother was dead, she simply let me keep it. I couldn't lose it. It meant too much to me to have it be in the hands of anyone else.

I turned around to go look elsewhere in the small apartment when my gaze was met by that damn cat's. She smirked, perhaps knowing full well where my necklace was located. My eyes narrowed as I barred my teeth at her. She simply put her paw to her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Mow!" She stuck her tongue out at me making my blood boil. She laughed at me again.

I swear to any God that exists, I'm going to kill that cat in cold blood. Then I'll sell her skinned corpse to some lowly demons and keep her pelt to make some gloves out of.

I took a step forward, but before I could get anywhere near that cat, the door opened. I froze in place. My blood pounding in my ears. I looked towards the door and saw the girl, still in her work uniform.

"Milkshakes, time to eat." She called out cheerfully.

"Mow." The cat went to the girl, rubbing her face against the girl's legs.

"Calm down you. What do you mean we've got a visitor?" She raised her eyes to meet mine. Her expression was one of surprise. She didn't say anything for a moment or two, and I wondered if she was going to call the human police. Her face brightened into a wide smile as she came over and embraced me in a tight hug. "Hiei, I'm so happy you're alright. I was so worried about you." She let go, her hands lightly grasping at my arms. She looked around my body. "Are you alright? You didn't hurt yourself again did you?" Her blue eyes looked into my red ones. I saw the worry in her eyes, the elation at my return. It made me wonder why I had left in the first place.

I quickly pushed her off. "No, I'm fine. I'm just looking for something I had left here."

"Oh, I know what you mean." She went over to a painting she had hung on the wall. I remember gazing at it for a time while I was here. It was of an elegant woman, same hair and eyes as the girl, but seemed taller, much more feminine than girlish. Her hair reached the floor. Her skin seemed to glow a pale blue. I had wanted to ask who she is, but never thought it important enough to do so. The girl pulled the painting off the wall to reveal a combination safe. "I hope you don't mind that I had kept it in here. I didn't want anyone to steal it." She unlocked and opened it. She reached her tiny hand inside and pulled out my necklace. She turned around and held it out to me. "Here ya go." After I retrieved it from her, I put it around my neck while she locked up the safe and put the painting back in its place. "Do you need anything else, Hiei?" She smiled warmly at me.

"No." I looked away.

"I really missed you, Hiei. And so did Milkshakes. Or at least she missed annoying you."

"Meow." It rubbed against my legs, demanding my attention.

I remained silent. I didn't know what to say to that. I hardly ever know what to say to any of her endearing comments. "Hn." Was the best I was able to come up with.

"By the way, your friends seem very nice. I've never been given such a big tip before. Tell them thanks for me."

"Sure." I was reminded of something. "You didn't try to say hi to me while I was in the shop."

"You were with your friends, and I didn't want to intrude. Anyways, if you wanted to introduce me you would've." She smiled. I nodded in agreement. "I guess you gotta go now huh?" She held her smile but her eyes held a bit of sadness.

I opened my mouth to answer but I stopped. "I could stay for a bit if that's alright."

The brightness in her eyes returned ten fold. "Absolutely. Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm making spaghetti." I nodded again, wondering why I wanted to stay a little longer.

……….

I returned to the temple late that night. When I stepped through the door I was once again tackled to the ground by seven squealing children. "Uncle HIEIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" All but two cried with joy. One was silent while the other had a pacifier in his mouth. They were all piled on top of me, straddling my stomach. It went from the youngest on my chest, to the eldest just above my groin area. Hieyoru, Uzu, Tossa, Toshi, Samui, Saji, and Yusuke Junior. "We missed you, Uncle Hiei." They chanted.

I rolled my eyes. "I missed you too."

"YAAY!!" They cheered, their hands flailing up in the air.

"Alright ye little buggers, time fer bed. Ye know your mums and dads 'll be angry wit ol' Uncle Jin if he don get all ya sleepin soon." Jin came in, ushering the children off of me and into the bathrooms to have them brush their teeth before they go to bed. I was able to stand up again.

"Yes, Uncle Jin." They moaned . "Good night, Uncle Hiei." They gave me a group hug around my legs and waist.

"Good night." I patted them on their tiny heads, then pushed them towards the wind master.

"Who knew you were so good with kids." Shien came from the kitchen, most likely after helping Yukina with the dishes. She is a tall woman, coming to Kuwabara's shoulder. There's a tiny beauty mark on under her left eye. Her straight, jet black hair comes all the way down to her knees. She has no bangs, and her hair is always neatly tucked behind her ears, away from her face. Only a short stray lock of hair defiantly stays against her forehead.

She joined our ranks ever since she came to Japan, transferring from another college. Kuwabara introduced her to us. They went to the same school. When she came here, she immediately went to Genkai for help on controlling her psychic powers. She claims to have taken out an entire neighborhood block with an earthquake when she was still living in a place called "America". Shien is now almost as powerful a psychic as Genkai.

"Hn."

"By the way, where's the big lug? He's been skipping out on taking the girls to ballet practice again." She questioned.

"I wouldn't know. It's not my turn to watch him. Try the detective. They're probably knocking what little brains they have out of eachother." I replied.

She grinned, giving an amused snort. "Very true." She walked in the direction of the dojo.

I went in the direction of the bedrooms. Mine was on the second story, seeing as I liked high up places. When I reached the second floor, I walked down the hallway towards my bedroom at the end. I kept hearing noises. There was some giggling then shushes coming from my sister's bedroom. Her door was slightly open. When I came to it, I pushed it open and looked inside to see my sister and Touya on the bed just about to… I'd rather not even think about it.

When Touya spotted me, he immediately tumbled off the bed in shock, taking half of the blankets with him. "Hiei. I… we… Uh…" I looked to my sister. She was scrambling to close her kimono, her face a beet red.

I rolled my eyes. "Save it. Just be a little quieter tonight." I closed the door, making sure to lock it for them.

Show of hands. Who thought my sister ended up with the oaf?

Well, you're wrong.

After he went to college, their relationship started becoming more and more of a friendship to her. When Jin and Touya came, the ice master started to take a liking to her as well. He courted her, then at the end of Kuwabara's first term of schooling, they were mated, and Yukina was pregnant with Saji and Samui. I was actually relieved she and Kuwabara didn't end up together.

The oaf didn't take the news as well, though. He was, of course, happy for her, but it was sickening to see him moping around like a kicked dog. You don't need to worry about him though. When he got back to school, he met Shien, the transfer student from "America". He immediately fell for her, practically worshipping the ground she walked on. Then half a year later, they were married and pregnant with their twin girls, Toshi and Tossa. Luckily, they look exactly like their mother, There was even that same beauty mark underneath the left eye. The only thing they inherited from their father is his orange hair color.

I made my way into my own room, locking the door behind me. I opened the window to allow the ending summer air to make its way into my room. I took my cloak and shirt off before settling onto the bed. I closed my eyes recalling my time with the girl earlier today.

It was nice. Nothing awkward or strained. She seemed to be very relaxed. The only thing I was really concentrating on was the food. The cat sat herself in my lap, disregarding me entirely as I tried to ignore her.

When I said my good byes, she asked me if I would visit again.

I said yes.

……….

It's fall now. I had been visiting the girl almost every weekend whenever I'm in the human world. I never understood the need to go back. It seemed like an addiction. As I learn more and more about her, I kept feeling the need to be with her. I'll sometimes find her on her piano, playing that same song I had awoken to when I first met her. She said it was called Moonlight Sonata by some composer named Beethoven. I enjoyed listening to her play it.

I kept her a secret from my friends. I felt as if I was living a double life at times. During the day, I'm Lord of Alaric and Uncle Hiei. At night, well, I have yet to find a title to that.

I'm meeting with the girl again today. Since I disappear often while I'm in the human world, no one has asked any questions. I count my blessings.

She says she's going to bye some groceries. She asked if I'd like to join her and I automatically said yes. I find myself bending to her will more often than not.

I met her in front of the tea shop. She looked… childish. She wore her favorite dark green jacket and a short powder blue skirt. Her black socks came up mid thigh from her blue tennis shoes. Not that I was looking.

"Ready to go?" She asked with a smile. I nodded. She led the way, my steps in line next to hers. There was no conversation for a while. We merely walked. She held a small, black umbrella in her hands and carried a little backpack.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The marketplace. If you want anything, let me know, k?" Her bright smile warmed me in the cold weather.

As the day progressed, she took me into one shop after another.

"I need to pick out a gift for Mei. It's going to be her birthday soon and I want to get her something special." She declared as she pulled me towards another clothing's store. Her hand grasped mine tightly. "This is a maternity shop. Since Mei's getting so big, I thought I'd get her a few things from here to help her out." Her smile was ever present on her face. It seemed to never wear off. She let go of my hand to get into the shop, but my reflexes quickly took it back. She stopped at the sudden contact. She looked to me and smiled warmly. Her hand grasped mine again as she led me inside.

The day passed by in a blur. I didn't really pay attention to anything besides her. It almost felt as if I was escorting her like a bodyguard would except our hands were conjoined the entire time. When she finished the shopping, she invited me to dinner again. I had to turn her down, seeing as Mukuro wanted me back early to meet with the other two sisters of Memoru and Jade and bring them to the human world to have them start searching for the Aoitsuki. Koenma had finally agreed to let them through. Took him long enough.

Half way back to her apartment, it had started to rain. She quickly opened the umbrella and held it over the both of us. I had to let go of her seeing as she's now holding the umbrella in the hand that was previously occupied with mine. I shoved both of them into my pockets.

She sighed happily. "I love the rain." She said it mostly to herself. After a few minutes of silence she turned to me and asked innocently, "If you had one wish, what would it be, Hiei?"

"I don't know." I answered. I merely wanted to avoid the question. The one thing that I want, what my friends have, is something that I don't deserve to have. "You?" I tried to redirect the attention on her. I catch myself doing this often.

"Hmmm…" She took a few moments to think. "Well." She looked away, a blush creeping on her cheeks. She then boldly looked into my eyes to answer. "If I ever get my first kiss," She looked up to the sky. "I'd like it to be in the rain." She gave a small laugh at her wish.

We finally stopped at the entrance to her tea shop. She rummaged through her back pack, trying to find her keys while trying to balance carrying the bags and the umbrella. I stood there, amused. She never did ask for my help with anything. Usually she just wants me to reach for the salt shaker on the top shelf. "Thanks for walking with me, Hiei."

"Hn."

"Here it is." She pulled out the key. "I'll see you later, Hiei." She waved before setting the bags down to put the key into the hole.

"Right." I slowly walked away, allowing the rain to soak me through. I was trying to convince myself that I needed to get back to the demon world, that I had to go see Mukuro, and that I can't stay here. However, even as I ran these thoughts through my head, I still turned on my heel and walked back to her. She turned around and was about to ask what was wrong but I silenced her when I put my lips to hers, taking her and myself by surprise.

I grasped her long black hair in my hand and snaked an arm around her waist, bringing her small pliant body against mine. I tried to make the kiss gentle, sweet, but the demon inside of me demanded I take total control and claim dominance. The hand in her hair pushed the back of her head to deepen the kiss. She slowly started to melt into the kiss. Her body was first stiff against mine then slowly relaxed as my hand went up her shirt to be placed at the small of her back.

She gasped at the contact, allowing me access into her tiny hot mouth. As I explored, she slowly brought down the umbrella, exposing us to the rain. She set it down next to us, the handle sticking up in the air as the bowl collected water. Her arms wrapped themselves around my neck, her lips tentatively kissed me back. She was shy and hesitant. It only made me kiss her more fervently. There was nothing that had me feel so complete. Her lips were as soft as flower petals, her skin so warm under my touch.

I finally allowed us to part. She put her head against my chest, taking in shuddering breaths. I smirked at how much I had affected her. It made me realize what my title was by night.

It was lover.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: **Naoko is technically NOT my character. She belongs to a good friend of mine, Kayko Lily. I have been allowed to use her character to be Kurama's mate. Kudos to her!! Love you K!!!!

**Enter Twins**

…..Kurama…..

I have noticed Hiei acting a bit peculiar lately. Nothing drastic of course, but there seems to be something occupying his mind. As long as I have known Hiei, I still can't entirely figure him out. He's one of life's most difficult puzzles to solve.

However, I have noticed his slight turn in behavior a month or two ago, but I can't quite place the origin. I just know it happened when he came back from one of his assignments that Mukuro sent him on. The one where he went missing for a week. It's not that I'm complaining, please do not mistake it for that. I'm actually very satisfied with his small change. He seems calmer, less angry at the world, and dare I say, happier. I was even able to see a genuine smile from him. It's not much cause for concern, it's just… different than what we are all used to from the fire apparition.

I actually hope he stays this way. He's so much more tolerant and even… friendlier around the children. He's more willing to watch after them and be with them. Before, he had always went out of his way to keep away from the children, but now. Now is a different picture. The others haven't noticed it, but I can plainly see that whatever change has befallen Hiei, it is for the better.

Naoko came back from the kitchen into our bedroom, her black cat ears and tail now displayed since we were out of the gaze of human eyes. She sat herself in my lap, purring as she snuggled into my embrace. I wrapped my arms around her, resting against the top of her head, smell of her hair filled my nostrils with the sweet scent of her shampoo. I inhaled her scent, already thinking very dirty thoughts.

"Hey, Kurama." She purred my name at the end. My arms tightened around her.

"What is it, pussy cat?" I nuzzled her neck.

"Do you love me?" She asked in a sweet and innocent voice. I stopped.

I grabbed her shoulders and made her look at me. "What do you want, how much is it gonna cost me, who'd you piss off?" I looked straight into her eyes.

She smiled sheepishly at me. "A rocking chair, $335, and Hiei once he finds out that I ate the last of hisice-cream."

…..Hiei…..

I was back in demon world. I returned a few nights ago. I had to pick up the Fubuki Sisters and bring them back to the human world to help us find the missing Aoitsuki. The little incident surprisingly didn't hold me up, even though I stayed with her for another ten minutes. I would've stayed longer, but duty called. So here I am at the crack of dawn, waiting for the final papers to allow them entry into the human world.

I'd rather be with the girl.

I've never kissed a human before. I've never embraced one, touched one, felt one so intimately. I liked it. I liked the feeling of being dominant, her frail human body being overpowered by mine. I could've crushed her in her my grasp. I could've taken advantage of her weakness. I'm inebriated with that feeling of control, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I ever harmed her in any way. Such an act is beneath me.

I'm infatuated with a human. The most lowly of vile beings ever to be spawned. With every second I spend with her, I go against everything that I had ever believed about humans. Their impending greed, their selfishness, their weak minds and bodies. So easily corrupted, beaten down, killed. Even fairies have more strength than they do. But this girl seems so different from the rest.

Her weakness enthralls me. Her eyes captivate me. Her skin, her scent, her taste, her very essence intoxicates me. She is so highly addictive, and all I want is more. Because of this addiction, I bend more and more to her will. I allow myself to be commanded at her every request. If it weren't for her little wish, I'd have never even thought about touching her in such a way. Yet, I'm so glad I did it. I'd do it a thousand times over if I could hear the hitch in her breath, feel the quiver in her voice, see the glaze in her dark blue eyes.

I would've stayed longer if I didn't have to baby-sit the four annoying brats. The twins came to Mukuro's strong hold a few days ago, but weren't permitted to go to the human world until all their paper work was finished. It just so happens that they went to the human world a few years before Yusuke became a spirit detective and one of them got into trouble. Enough to have one of the former spirit detectives to kick them out. Whatever she did, it's causing a delay in the processing. Since she has a "criminal record", the higher ups don't want to allow her to cross the border.

I sat in my chair, filling out the stack of files Mukuro left me. She thought I was skipping out on my duties because I've been in the human world too much. She asked what I've been doing and I gave her my usual answer.

"It's no concern of yours, woman."

Perhaps it was my tone of voice or that I actually called her "woman", but a few minutes later, I found a giant stack of papers on my desk waiting to be taken care of.

This is her way of saying to me, "Piss off smart ass".

I set the pen down and rubbed my temples. It's been three hours and I still have a fourth of the original amount left. I swear I'll kill her one of these days. I leaned back in my chair more, resting my cramping hand and weary eyes. When I started to relax, I opened my eyes to see a pair of golden orbs look into my eyes.

"HAIYA, Sparky!!!"

I jumped up to try and grab her, but missed by several centimeters.

She blew raspberries at me as she hung upside-down from the ceiling lamp. "Too slow, Sparky."

Dozens of temple throbs formed as I glared angrily at the girl. I haven't met anyone, not even the oaf, who gets on my nerves more than that little troublemaker.

Emmina Fubuki Tanadachi. The cretin from hell. She's one of the twins that the bookworm and tomboy brought with them. She was very short for her age. Puny to say the least and scrawny. Black hair with lightning streaks of blonde, eyes like the sun, and a big mouth to top it off. The trouble this girl gets into is astonishing. In just six days, she's become public enemy number one amongst the guards. She's flooded their sleeping quarters, sabotaged their sparring gear, tied their shoelaces together during drills (thus making them fall like dominoes at their drill sergeant's next command), and has even led three stampedes throughout the castle. Where or when she gets the animals is beyond me.

I hate my job, almost as much as I hate that girl.

To make her more of an annoyance, she's even a thunder demon, one with the ability to move as fast as lightning. She can actually outrun me by a few meters, which makes it hard for me to keep her settled down. Her metabolism makes her have to eat at least six times a day. And guess where all that energy goes? Into making my life in this castle a living hell.

She got down from the lamp and jumped onto the edge of my desk, kicking her feet against the wood. "Watcha doooooin?" She asked "innocently".

A vein throbbed on my temple. "Working." I spat through clenched teeth.

"You seem tense. Too much stress at work? Mukuro being bitchy? Or is it that you just can't get laid?"

I glared at her and my eye started to twitch.

"I'm sure Mukuro's available."

My eyes widened at the very idea. As far as I'm concerned, Mukuro and I will never share the same bed ever again.

"You were pretty dazed when I came in, Sparky. What were you thinkn about?"

"None of your business, child."

"It was a girl, wasn't it?" Her smile was accusatory and delighted.

My eyes narrowed. This child can't be that intuitive. No one knows about Sitsumi, and as long as I breath, no one will _ever _know. "Be silent, you irritating little imp."

She crossed her arms, smiling mischievously. "It is, isn't it?!! Who is she?!!" She leaned closer. "Is she pretty? Nice? Smart? Taller than you?!!!" More veins appeared around my head as I glared at the child. So aggravating. "Then again, now that I think about it. What girl in her right mind would want to be with you?" She pointed at me, poking me in the chest.

"EMMIE!!" The bookworm came in through the doors. She grabbed the younger girl by the collar and dragged her out. Emmie went kicking and screaming. "You're in big trouble now!! Look what you did to the…" Her voice faded as she went down the hall.

Once the doors were closed., I sat in solitude again, replaying the child's words in my mind. I know she was only trying to rile me, but I knew that even if she didn't know the truth, I did.

There is no woman in the world who would want a killer for a lover. Just as with the rest of my glacial home, my heart is as cold and frozen as the snow. There is no capacity for affection for another. No compassion to feel the pain of others. So why do I want what I can't have? Why do I torment myself with such a desire to be desired when I could never return such a feeling to another?

Why is everything so God damn difficult to understand?

….. Human world .….

When I arrived at the cafe at closing time, I wondered if I had the right place. It looked darker and absolutely sinister, like something from one of Sitsumi's horror movies. I looked at the sign. Instead of it's usual cerulean blue moon and dark hued clouds, the moon was an ominous midnight blue and black. The clouds were black and a blood red.

I went inside to see the decor to be much different than when I was last here. The tables had black and red tablecloths, red roses in cream vases, and lanterns above them for light. Many of the booths had black and red veil canopies. When I looked to the counter where the register was placed, a giant crystal chandelier hung over it, reflecting the light from the other tables.

"Hiei!" Sitsumi ran up to me and jumped into my arms. "I'm so glad you're here. I need you to do me a little favor." She smiled brightly at me.

I noticed her attire. She looked like what the humans perceive to be a witch. Her pointy black witch hat sat crooked on her head. Black mascara marked her eyes and there was also a deep purple coloring on her lips. Purple vest, black dress that seemed much too small even for her. The ends of the dress and the sleeves were torn. Her socks were interchangeable black and purple horizontal stripes that wound more than half way up her calf. Heeled witch shoes completed the out fit.

"What is it that you need me to do?" I asked her, my hands still on her waist.

"Ya see, Mei and I can't lift this box out of the attic. I'm too small and Mei's belly's too big. So would you mind getting it down for me, please?" She batted her thick black eyelashes at me. I nodded my head, unable to refuse.

It didn't take that much effort to get the box down. It had more decorations for her theme downstairs. She explained that since Halloween was coming up, she wanted to decorate the shop as such.

Hn, Halloween. I remember when the detective and the rest of them had me come along to watch their children "trick or treat", I think they called it. This holiday the humans have created never made any sense to me. The children dress up as monsters and ghouls to go to other people's houses and demand some sort of store bought sweet. And if there is no candy to be given, they play a prank. Yusuke said they "egged" and "teepeed" houses for the hell of it. Whatever that meant.

"Thanks, Hiei." She hugged me around the waist. "I'll be able to do the rest of the decorating tomorrow with Mei. She'll be thrilled."

I thought of something to say to make conversation. "How… is the baby?"

"He's coming along just fine. He'll probably be here in another few weeks." She smiled at the thought. She looked at me, grinned, then went up the stairs. I followed her, knowing that that's what she wanted.

Her apartment is still the same as before. No decorations or new fixtures were placed.

She put her hat on a coat rack, being greeted by her cat. "Hey, Milkshakes. Look who came for a visit."

"Meow." She ran over to me and rubbed her face against my legs, marking her territory. The very thought nearly made me smile.

"You want something to eat , Hiei? I've got smores and hot chocolate if you want any."

"I'm fine." I told her, giving her my usual short comments. I sat down on her new love seat. The recliner, she said, had to be thrown away. She never explained why. I grabbed the television remote and turned to a random channel, which happened to be the news.

She came out from the bathroom, now wearing a night shirt and shorts. She grabbed the remote from my hand, plopped next to me on the couch, and switched to another station. The theme song for _Naruto _came on.

"Hell, no." There was no way I'm watching this crap. I already get enough of my fair share of it back at the temple. Curse you Naoko.

"And why not?" She put her hands on her hips, a direct challenge.

"I'm not watching some cartoon show about ninjas. It's stupid and completely unrealistic."

"It is _not _a cartoon, it is an _Anime!! _And it is _NOT _stupid." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Why you…" I got on top of her as I tried to grab the remote. She shrieked and hid it behind her and tried to push me off. It didn't do much good as I swiped it from under her. I stood up, the victor of our little squabble.

She grabbed my arm and the next thing I knew, I was flipped over her shoulder and thrown to the floor. She grabbed the remote out of my hands and sat back down on the couch with a , "Ha!!"

I was stunned. I merely rolled over onto my stomach and looked at her in surprise. She ignored me and continued to watch the crappy cartoon on the television. I stood up and dusted myself off. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Her smile widened. "Impressed? I've been studying martial arts ever since I was a kid. Mom put me in there mostly for self-defense. Then, since I liked it so much, I studied more and more. Right now I have a black belt in Tai Kwan Do, Hapkido, Aikido, Kung Fu, Kendo, Karate, Juijustu, and Tai Chi Chuan."

I snorted. "Tai Chi?"

She pointed a finger at me. "HEY!! Don't go insulting a perfectly usable martial art. Just because people use it as a form of exercise and relaxation DOESN'T mean it isn't deadly!"

My smirk grew wider. I turned away from her, trying to hide my amusement. Tai Chi was invented by the humans for medical purposes. I don't see how such a gentle technique could be used in combat. I sat next to her, still avoiding eye contact. I wouldn't want to insult a "perfectly usable martial art" in front of her.

After the four hour long marathon of _Naruto _was over, another Anime came on. Something called _Death Note. _I sighed and leaned on my hand resting on the armrest of the love seat. Throughout the show, Sitsumi had an aura of apprehension around her. Her eyes were glued to the screen, wide and unblinking. I wondered what was the matter until I found the answer at the end of the episode.

When something called a death god wrote the name of some human in a notebook and killed him with a heart attack. I smirked, then frowned when I saw the oncoming tears in the girl's eyes. I looked to the screen, seeing the treachery in the protagonist's , Light, eyes. When the credits came on, the girl busted into a fountain of tears, wailing for the lost… L I think it was.

"That bastard!! He killed him, Hiei!!! Of all the dirty rotten!!!!" She continued on and on for about an hour. The cat rolled her eyes and went out the window to do.. Whatever it is she does when she's not here. Sitsumi reminded me a bit of Naoko. Whenever one of her favorite characters die, she goes into a frenzy of curses and rants. If I had known Sitsumi was one of those Anime fanatics, I probably wouldn't have bothered being with her at all.

Then again, who the hell am I kidding?

She sat down on the loveseat, pouting, still having tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. I sighed. She's all bent out of shape about some cartoon human male that doesn't even exist. I realized what I just thought. She's crying over another male. I glared at the television, then turned my attention to her still pouting form, her eyes starring angrily at the screen.

I pulled her into my lap, immediately getting her attention. She looked at me curiously. I quelled her inquiry as I sealed my mouth over hers. She gasped at my forwardness, allowing me full access. She was again shy and hesitant to comply with my actions. I didn't want any more doubt from her. I put her underneath me without breaking the kiss. She grabbed the collar of my shirt and kissed back, more fervently this time. I smirked and regained control.

I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her head more into the kiss with my other hand. She shivered in my grasp. Putting a knee in-between her legs, I separated them easily. I made my way down to the spot underneath her ear, biting her lightly. She gave a quiet squeak then giggled. I bit harder extracting a small moan. I traveled lower to the junction of her neck and shoulders but was hindered by that stupid necklace she always wears. I was about to rip it off when something started ringing.

I groaned and got off of her, answering the communication device Kurama gave me a few years ago.

"What?" I barked into the phone. I wasn't at all happy about the interruption.

"_Hiei, it's Kurama. Where are you? Mukuro says you came to the human world hours ago."_

"Hn. It's none of your business of where I am fox. I'm busy right now."

"_It isn't like you to just come to the human world for no apparent reason, Hiei. What are you up to?"_

"I have some personal business to deal with, fox. I'll be at the temple within an hour." I hung up, furious. I looked towards Sitsumi. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes filled with an embarrassed innocence.

"Umm… You have to go soon?" She rubbed her arm, nervous reflex.

"Yeah. I'll be back tomorrow at noon." I got up to get my shoes by the door.

"Kay." She followed me to the door downstairs. I was about to walk out when she handed me my cloak. "It's cold without a jacket, Hiei." She smiled warmly.

I took it and put it on. "Thank you." I said.

"Mhm." She nodded.

I pulled her into my arms once again and stole another kiss for myself. She wrapped her arms around my back, staying there, allowing me to do as I pleased. I broke the kiss and held her tightly in my arms. I inhaled her scent of rain and tea leaves deeply into my lungs, wanting to imprint it into my memory. I let go and left without another word. After walking down the sidewalk for a distance, I flitted to the temple remembering each little note that came from her mouth.

…..3 days later…..

The twins, Emmie and Nina, were finally able to arrive in the human world. They were immediately put to work in finding the Aoitsuki. The twins had an artifact that once belonged to Ametari the Healer's mother, Tsume the Wise. (Where they get these titles I'll never know.) They'll be able to locate where the Aoitsuki is, but only through a medium, which is where mine and Yusuke's trackers come in.

Each of them will be linked to one of the four girls participating, including Genkai. Once a psychic connection has been made, the four separate teams will scan throughout the city, the countryside, and the whole island if they have to. Genkai and the Fubuki Sisters will stay at the temple keeping the mental connection between them. If one of the ground teams comes close to the Aoitsuki, they say the artifact will glow a bright blue.

In order to do this, it requires an immense level of concentration for the psychics involved. They locked themselves in one of Genkai's smaller dojos around the temple. They'll be there until they've exhausted their energy. The book worm said the reason why they have the five of them is that the more psychics involved, the less energy needed to keep the mental link. It also helps if the medium is close by. However, since the ground teams are to be moving farther and farther from the temple the more they scavenge the city, the harder it will be for the psychics to keep a solid connection.

It made sense to me.

The rest of us had to simply wait until they get a lead. As infuriating as it is, I kept my short fuse of patience in check. I try to occupy my mind with other problems. Running Alaric, baby-sitting the children, and the one most on my mind is the girl.

I question myself on why I continue to see her. Why do I torture myself with her presence? The only gain would be a woman to warm my bed for a period of… time.

That's it.

That's why I've stayed with her for so long.

My body merely wants a good lay. It's been a while since I've taken a lover. Whores became a short-lived pleasure, and were never fun to begin with, and slaves were out of the question. I refuse to use one against their will for such a purpose. It is beneath me. And Mukuro? Mukuro was merely for entertainment. It was enjoyable at first, spending night after night with someone who actually had a brain, but the relationship soon disintegrated. If there is one thing I won't stand for in a woman is a dominatrix. If she succeeded in being on top, she would see me more as a subordinate than her equal. So I stopped coming to her bed. I stopped acknowledging her as anything but a business partner. Nothing more, nothing less.

After a few years of having nothing to pour my frustrations into, I've gone and found the easiest prey. A little human girl. That has to be the reason why I humor her. So I now know what I want from her. Once I get it, I can leave her like all the other whores I've invited to my bed.

But, what makes this so complicated is that… Sitsumi isn't a whore.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

LS: I'm so happy to know all of you love this story, especially Sitsumi!!! I love her too!!! Anyways, I just might be writing a lemon in a few chapters, just so ya know. It will come as a surprise. I'm not warning you, I'm not going to hint at it after this. It's rated M for a REASON people!!

Now one more thing, I can't wait for chapter twelve !!!!!!!! And I'll tell you why on chapter fourteen. No sooner, no later!!!!!

ONWARD!!!!

**Christmas Wishes**

…..Hiei…..

Snow was falling from the sky. I was watching the kids play around in it, being completely fascinated by such an ordinary object. They were bundled up under pounds of cloth, snow shoes, hats, gloves, earmuffs. It's a wonder their mothers allowed them out of the house.

Right now, they were trying to pelt me with snowballs they had stored up ever since the snow started to fall a few days ago. It just so happens that Junior didn't inherit his father's IQ. (lucky kid) It was his idea to put the previously made snowballs in a hiding place all over the clearing we presided in. They only managed to hit me once, but only because I was sleeping during Kuwabara's shift. I wasn't exactly paying any attention to the little brats.

They threw one snowball after another. I flitted from one side of the clearing to the other, easily dodging the white projectiles, but the runts refused to quit. We've been at this for three hours now. Their snow supply being endless and their energy at full when we started. Hopefully they'll run out of steam soon.

It was another hour before they showed any signs of slowing down. Shien, Kuwabara's wife, decided it was time for us to go back in to have hot chocolate with our lunch. I happily obliged to hand over the squealing little demons to her. She can handle them just fine on her own. After Yusuke had every ounce of dignity within him beaten to an inch of his life when he insulted her, I found that she was not a woman to mess with. The detective learned that the hard way.

As everyone tried to settle the kids down, I snuck away to my other, hidden life.

…..Blue Moon Café…..

After Sitsumi's Halloween theme for October, she decided to make the café more of a cosplay café. She told me it came to her in dream. (Never knew she slept long enough to dream.) So for her November theme, it was Anime. She even put in a suggestion box so her customers can ask for whatever Anime or character they'd like for her, Mei, and the other two waitresses to dress up as.

I didn't really care much, until I saw one of the outfits. I trashed it before she came back from talking to Mei. I won't allow her to wear a whorish bunny costume. Once I find out who made that suggestion, I'll be sure to pay him a visit. I made it my part time job to prevent her from buying anymore of those things. She has either not noticed or noticed but complies with my vacant wishes.

Then for the December theme, it was all about a "winter wonderland."

She pretty much dressed as an elf. Or what humans perceive to be an elf. At least the ones that work for… what the hell is his name? Some sick, fat petofile in a red suit that breaks and enters into peoples homes to put wrapped gifts under some sort of tree. Kurama tried getting me into the "spirit of the holidays" once. I never returned during that part of the year after that.

I looked up to see the café logo back to its original design. I walked in and ignored the hostess while making my way towards the kitchen. Through that, I'll be able to get to the upstairs apartment.

Once I walked through the doors, I was greeted with a tight embrace. "Hiei! I'm so glad you came." Her attire made my eye twitch. It isn't as revealing as the bunny costume, but it showed enough. It was a girl version of the fat man in the red suit. Short red dress with green gloves, shoes, and red hat.

Where do these people come up with this?

"I have a very important question for you, Hiei." Her face was serious as her dark blue orbs bored into my red ones.

"Oh, boy." I heard a female voice say. It was amused but held a note of exasperation in it. I looked over the girl's head and saw Mei standing at the the stove.

"I gotta know. Have you ever noticed how the word slaughter has the word laughter in it? Coincidence? I think not!"

I let the word run through my head for a moment, then I broke out into a genuine smile. Even with all the nonsense she comes up with, she still seems as intelligent as Kurama.

"Sitsumi. Did you get those groceries I ask for?" The pregnant woman, Mei, came over. She was the cook today, seeing as she wore no costume and in its place, a flour coated apron.

"Oh, I did. I'll be right back." She turned to me, pointing a finger towards the floor. "Stay here." She ran up the stairs to her apartment.

"Such a sweet girl, isn't she?" Mei looked at me with her kind and caring eyes. "I'm so glad she met you, Hiei. I've never seen Sitsumi so… happy… about life. For as long as I've known her, she's never had a true blue friend , ya know? It was even harder for her while she was in high school." Her eyes became saddened at whatever memory she was recalling. "But anyways." She cheered back up. "I've got work to do. Merry Christmas, Hiei."

"Hn."

After the girl gave the groceries to Mei and put on a change of clothes, she grabbed my hand and dragged me off into the snow.

"So whatcha wanna do today?" She smiled at me. I told her whatever she wanted. I didn't care all that much. "You wanna go to the park for a while?" She asked, trying to get me to talk.

"Hn."

Her eyebrows furrowed at my lack of conversation. She then had an evil gleam in her eye, which let me know I'm gonna go through hell. "I know where we could go!"

The humans were wrong. There is no loving God within the clouds. Just a child with a magnifying glass burning all beneath him.

I just couldn't have given a straight answer, could I?

"Why are we here?" I asked agitatedly, my eyebrow twitching from the effort to not run.

"Christmas shopping silly. There's some things I wanna buy." Her smile never faded as she dragged me into the mall.

I despise humans.

Throughout the day, she would take me from one maternity ward to another looking for clothes and baby junk for Mei. In every single store, we would be mistaken for a couple about to give new life. They thought that such a young couple was cute.

I thought they should mind their own damn business.

After buying mountains of clothing and baby toys, Sitsumi then dragged me into a jewelry store. She said she needed to buy something for her other two employees at the Blue Moon Café. I didn't understand the reasoning behind it. As far as I know, they're just teenagers trying to get extra cash fro their wallets; not exactly the type of people you'd give precious stones to.

She didn't find anything for them until she got to these stores called "_Hot Topic_" and "_Spencer's_".

I turned a shade of red when she showed me a pair of fuzzy blue handcuffs. I never knew humans actually went into that spectrum of sex.

"What do you want for Christmas, Hiei? I could always go back and get those handcuffs for you!" She laughed at my expression as we walked around the mall aimlessly. She held onto my hand, leading me around. "So, anything you saw that you wanted?"

"No, nothing. You don't need to get me anything for a ridiculous holiday." I replied.

She batted her blue eyes at me. "You think that being good to your fellow man is ridiculous, Hiei?"

"Uh…" What the hell am I supposed to say to that?!!

She grinned. "It's okay. I know what you mean. These bastards think Christmas is all about sales and getting people to spend more than they get. It is quite ridiculous how something that is supposed to be about a dead guy and everyone franchises such a morale holiday into degrading shopping where everyone thinks they _have _to get a gift for everyone on their list, so they go out and take whatever they can. I hear it's a lot worse in the U.S. Mei said that they'll practically murder each other just to get the last toy on the shelf. Aren't people just screwy?"

I nodded. I only thought it was a stupid holiday because it was made by the humans. She thinks it's stupid because of the contradictory actions of the humans during this time.

"So why do you participate in it if you know all of this?"

"Mostly cause I just want an excuse to buy people presents." She clung to my arm, lacing her fingers with mine. "So what do you want? Socks? Boots? Clothes that are actually in style?" She stuck her tongue out playfully at me.

"Hn." I slung the bags over my shoulder, contemplating what I should say. "… Your company will do just fine."

She wrapped my arm around her as she went to embrace me around my middle. I placed my hand on her side, gladly complying.

When we got back to her home, it was already passed closing time. She led me up to her apartment, setting me down and giving me hot chocolate. It was freezing in her apartment. I didn't notice much since temperature change doesn't really affect me.

She went to the bathroom to shower and put on a change of clothes. I sat there, listening to her bathe as I waited. The cat took this time to jump on my lap and demand my attention. She fell asleep there, purring incessantly as I stroked her behind the ears.

I'm still wondering how this feline got to the human world. I know that these kinds of cats like to live in groups and in the snow. She's fairly young by demon standards, still in its adolescent years. I looked at the dark blue collar on her neck. I took the pendant in my hand. A blue crescent moon with her name and address inscribed on it. I wonder if this was Sitsumi's idea.

Speaking of which, she finally came out, the hot steam from the bathroom pouring out into the cool air of her living room/ bedroom/ wreck room/ dining room. She was dressed in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She sat next to me on the couch, laying her head on my chest, flipping through the channels one by one.

I wrapped an arm around her small frame, taking in her scent now dulled by the water. I placed a hand on her arm and a chill ran from it all the way to my spine. Her skin felt like ice. I retracted my hand, surprised by such a sensation.

I placed my hand back. It was still cold. "You feel like ice."

"Huh?" She looked up to me, then at my hand. "Oh yeah." She smiled. "I'm always cold. It gets worse during the winter." She put a finger on her chin. "Hmmm. Now that I think about it, it's pretty cold in here, huh? I'd turn up the heat for you but…" he scratched the back of her head, embarrassed, "I was too cheep to get the upstairs heater fixed."

My eyes widened. Once I realized just how cold it was inside, I wondered exactly how she keeps on her feet. Human bodies aren't strong enough to withstand this low a temperature for a long period of time. It was below freezing a day or two ago, and it's getting colder each day.

"How the hell do you sleep at night?" I retorted, forgetting about her insomnia.

She smiled again. "I don't." Her eyes were then downcast. "I kinda have a fear that I'll freeze to death if I go to sleep." She beamed at me. "Silly, huh?"

I didn't know what to say. What the hell am I supposed to do? Stay in a bed with her till she falls asleep?

Actually. That wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"I'll stay with you then." I stated.

"What do mean?"

"I'll stay the night with you. I'll make sure you won't catch a cold in your drafty apartment building."

Her cheeks puffed out. I see her do this when she is annoyed by something. "My apartment is not drafty." She mumbled mostly to herself.

I didn't wait for her yes or no. I picked her up bridally, then carried her over to the bed. She gave a small noise in surprise, gripping at my shirt as if afraid that I would drop her.

I set her gently on the bed, then stood up to remove my shirt and boots.

Her face reddened to a deep crimson. "Uh, Hiei, y-you don't have to do that. Really. I'm just…" I placed myself over her, claiming her lips as I steadily pushed her down towards the bed. She made no attempt at stopping me. Made no gesture or reply of protest.

She is such a submissive little girl.

I allowed my hands to roam over her tiny frame. Feeling her cold skin beneath my fingers. I've never felt skin so soft and pliant. Demon skin tends to be tougher, and thick. Rarely satin-like.

She put her hands on either side of my face, allowing herself to succumb to each of my silent demands.

Her breath came as small, quiet gasps, her mewling became such a sweet little melody to my ears. I remember a time when the screams of my fallen enemies was the greatest symphony, but I now have an orchestra of sounds from just one insignificant being. Her small cries of pleasure was the most pleasing sound I've ever enticed.

I was being oh so gentle with the girl. Keeping in my mind that she is just a human, I went as slow as possible, soaking in as much pleasure as I could before I take what innocence she has left. However, my lower regions pulsed with impatience. It lingered so near to her, but was still so far away. I kissed my way down to her collarbone, moving her necklace out of my way. I was so tempted to bite down on her satin skin. It tasted wonderful on my tongue as it lapped every inch of space it could find.

I finally allowed myself to gently take some skin between my teeth and nibble as lightly as I could, fearful of breaking her weak human skin with my sharp demonic teeth. She gave a quiet moan in satisfaction. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of my hair, bringing me closer to her pulsing throat.

I felt the beat between my teeth. A dull, incessant throb. I covered it with my mouth, relishing in its fast pace due to my actions. It kept beating against my tongue as I listened to the sound of her breathing. It sounded as if she was running, or just finished having sex. Hn. If she's this sensitized with just a touch and go, I wonder how much noise I'd get when I actually bed her.

I smirked to myself.

I separated her legs by putting my knees between them. She didn't seem to notice or cared. Her eyes had changed to a glazed dull grey and blue. They didn't seem to be seeing anything at all.

I placed my hands on the inside of her shirt, moving up towards her developed breasts, their peaks risen when I bit her. Once I had one fleshy globe cupped gently in my hand, the cat jumped on the girl's head, then landed on the nightstand.

She bolted straight up, nearly knocking heads with me in the process. She looked over to the cat, her face as red as the fox's hair.

"Mrrrow." The cat growled at her.

She gave a small squeak, gawking at the tiny feline. Nuh-uh!! You take that back!!" She stuttered.

The cat just looked away, seemingly very pleased with herself. "Mow."

"I am not!!" The girl's hands went straight to her face, covering their redness from her pet. She stuck her tongue out childishly, pouting afterwards.

Words couldn't begin to describe how furious I was. I was so close to having her that I could practically taste her wetness on my tongue, and that fucking, flea-bitten excuse for a feline had to ruin it for me.

I'll kill it one of these days. I swear to any God that's listening. That cat will be hung up on my wall if it's the last thing I do.

I looked to Sitsumi. She was twirling a lock of hair in her hands, her wide blue eyes looking at the pillows, her demeanor embarrassed and utterly flabbergasted.

I sighed, my anger leaving me instantly. I pulled the blankets up, settling myself underneath. I pulled her in with me, cradling her in my arms, holding her head against my chest, willing her to go to sleep. She buried her face in my chest, placing a tiny cold hand on my shoulder. I had myself relax, all the tension within me gone as I listened to the stillness of her breathing. I closed my heavy eyes, wanting to sleep.

The last thing I glared at was the cat and her grinning face.

….. The next day, late in the afternoon …..

I had yet to go back to the temple. I just didn't want to leave. As the girl cleaned her apartment on her day off, I sat on her loveseat, bored out of my mind as I numbed it with nonsense from the television.

When she finished, she asked if I would like a smoothie. I didn't know what it was, but I said yes anyway.

She led me to her kitchen, where she had laid out all the ingredients needed for the drink. She instructed me on what to put into the tall plastic pitcher with the motor inside. I've seen this contraption at Kurama's home. Naoko would always make milkshakes for everyone during the summer months.

"Hmmm. I think that's everything." She gave a thumbs up with a wide smile. "Fire it up, Hiei."

I looked at the machine in front of me, then randomly pressed a button.

All of the ingredients I just put in came flying out in all directions, splattering the walls and ceiling with it's liquidy contents. I panicked, wondering what I did wrong. The cat was dodging each projectile as it came her way. Skittering across the counter top, knocking everything in her path trying to keep herself dry. Plates and knives crashed to the floor, shards splintering to all reaches of the room.

Sitsumi ran over to the machine, slipping on a fallen banana peel making her skid across the floor and run into me, knocking me off my feet. We were a heap of flailing limbs on the floor.

The cat scrambled past the machine, bumping into it making it fly into the air. The pitcher was thrown off the machine. It landed on the floor as the pitcher spilled its contents into my hair, then landed on my head.

Sitsumi reached over to the still spinning mechanism, nonchalantly pressing the button to shut it off.

She sat up, wiping some of the pinkish liquid from her face, her eyes settling on me. She just stared for a moment or two, and I wondered if she was angry. Then, as her eyes traveled to the pitcher, her face contorted then burst out into laughter.

Tears were streaming down her face as she rolled around the floor, holding her sides together. She kept hiccupping air into her lungs to continue laughing.

My face sunk as I glared at the girl.

I see nothing at all funny.

It took a long while for her to stop her amusement, and even then she still had to rub the steaming tears from her eyes. "That *breath* was the most * giggle* hilarious thing * snort* ever." She sucked in a lungful of breath. She looked around. "I guess there's a lot of cleaning to do." There was laughter in her words. Her smile brilliant against the mess that surrounded us.

I cupped her chin in my hand, and licked the juice from her cheek. She gently pushed me away. "Hiei," She lightly scolded, giggling at the end. She rubbed her cheek with the sleeve of her shirt, then crawled over to me, placing her face next to mine, and licked me.

TBC…

LS: I hope you approve!!! I just had a stroke of genius and, here it is. And I think I will put in that lemon. **Remember**!!! I can't wait till chapter 12!!!!!


	9. Chapter 9

LS: Sorry it took so long. I wanted to make this as uberly long as possible so that I can get everything that I want in until the twelfth chapter. Anyways…

Thank you guys!!! You make me feel so loved!!! Well here's chapter 9!!! Hope you like it.

Remember!! I can't wait till chapter twelve!!!!!

ONWARD!!!

**What have you done to me**

…..Kurama…..

The search for the Aoitsuki has not gone well. Though we've managed to gain a small lead, we still haven't pinpointed the exact location. We only know that she is in the city, and against everything that was believed, is actually alive. Koenma had found some information on the girl as he was going through every archive he had of the Blue Moon Maidens.

We now know the child will have a familiar with her. Either of a feline, canine, or a reptile species. We are not sure which since it could go either way. Aoitsukis usually favor cats, but since the spirit of Arare the dragon is within her, she may have a liking towards lizards and such. There is also the chance of it being a dog. Ametari's mate is an ice demon from the Northern Islands, and they tend to favor dogs, especially wolves.

Emmie stated that she and her sister have a painting of Tsume the Wise somewhere back in demon world. Hopefully it will give us a clue as to what the new Blue Moon Maiden looks like.

It would certainly make finding her a lot easier.

Mukuro has been working diligently on quieting the rebellion. They call themselves Arare's Children. They started their movement in the Northern Islands and moved their way south. Unfortunately, it was Mukuro's territory that was hit first. She has been unable to find their leader or keep any of their captives alive.

Many times the situation seems completely hopeless. Of course, Naoko doesn't think so. My little optimist thinks that we will find the Blue Moon child before the rebel leaders do. I hope she's right. Her assumptions usually are. In fact, she has been helping the Fubuki Sisters and Genkai with the search. As the five sit and concentrate their energy on the artifact, Naoko has been feeding them her energy to give them an extra boost.

Hopefully she won't exhaust herself too much. She'll need that energy for the baby. I initially wouldn't allow her to do such a thing so close to her due date, even Hiei agreed with me that Naoko should stay out of it (usually he lets the "idiotic feline" do as she pleases), however, I finally gave in.

Which reminds me. I wonder what Hiei has been doing.

…..Hiei…..

I awoke to the sun shining in my eyes through the curtains. I shifted my position to fend off the offending sunlight. I turned over to put my back to it, thus wrapping the girl more into my arms as she slept beside me. I took in her scent as I buried my face into her black hair. She didn't stir.

Ever since we started sharing a bed together a month ago, she seems more rested, and the dark circles that adorned her eyes started to slowly dissipate into her skin. It made her eyes grow a darker blue.

I held on tighter to her, bringing her body flush against mine. There isn't a feeling that I enjoyed more than her skin pressed against my bare chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting the morning light to ruin my small haven.

I felt her stir in her sleep within my arms. Her tiny hands pressed against me as she tried to pull away. "Hiei… can't… breath… move over."

I smirked and loosened my grip. She turned over and tried to go back to sleep. I pulled her back into my arms not wanting to let go just yet.

I hope with all of this attention that I'm giving her, I'll be able to bed her soon. I'm starting to get sick of being so kind to her.

……….

It was the middle of the afternoon. Mei came in and woke the two of us up. I almost laughed seeing how red her face became when she saw us in bed together. It was entertaining to see the human babbling.

Sitsumi was now in her costume for the restaurant. This time she's wearing "Sailor little moon" or whatever. I didn't care. The other costume she wanted to try on was out of the question. It was a short skirted sailor suit. I think she said it was Sailor… sailor… I don't remember. It's named after one of the planets. Not really my concern.

Now I'm stuck in the kitchen, wasting away as I wait for the girl to clock out. I just sat on the counter top meditating when Mei wasn't trying to start a conversation with me. Sitsumi was on the other side of the swinging doors, waiting tables and taking orders. I sighed, realizing the precious minutes I've been wasting staying here.

I know I should be helping the others find the Aoitsuki, but so far at this point, I just really don't care. Mukuro has been getting more and more pissed off at my lack of motivation. When I told her to fuck off, she locked me out of the castle for three days. It didn't matter. I came straight back to the human world to spend time with my other life. Best thing that woman has ever done to me.

I smirked at the memory. I took advantage of the girl again, laying her beneath me as I gently sunk my teeth into the flesh of her neck. I had taken one of her globes within my grasp, massaging it, digging into it with my nails. She seemed to like the punishment I gave her, never once did she cry out in pain. Not when I left quite a few imprints of my teeth in her cream colored flesh, or when I pulled her head back by her hair to gain better access to her pulsing throat.

The tiny whimpers she made were divine.

But as soon as I would try to go further, that damn cat would always get in the way, no mater what I do to keep her out. She's like a fly on the wall, once you think you've gotten rid of the pest, it comes back with a vengeance to piss you off.

Which reminds me of what happened a few weeks ago.

Sitsumi had actually gotten me a present for the stupid human holiday of Christmas. I was curious and wanted to know exactly what she had gotten me. So instead of going through the actual present, I decided to search through her mind. When she turned her back, I opened the Jagan eye without removing my head band. The cat jumped onto the table in front of me, separating myself from the girl. She growled and hissed at me with such malice. Sitsumi turned to her, trying to console her, asking what was wrong. I closed the Jagan and waited. The cat finally calmed down after a few minutes. After that day, she kept an even closer eye on me, following me around, keeping me within its sights, even when I went into the bathroom. She waited outside the door until I came out.

"You sleeping, Hiei?" I heard her voice. I opened my eyes to see her face, the tip of her nose just touching mine. I stole a chaste kiss from her before getting down.

"Are you done yet?" I asked, hoping the answer was yes.

"No, not yet."

'_Damn it'_

"But I will be in another half hour. I just wanted you to meet someone." She smiled at me.

"Hn."

I heard Mei take in a sharp breath. "It's not Jake is it?" She asked, concern in her voice.

Sitsumi nodded, a smile on her angelic face. "Mmhm. He came to visit. I wanted him to meet Hiei."

The pregnant woman pursed her lips into a thin line, furrowing her brow as she stirred the ingredients of her cake batter. "O… kay." She said hesitantly.

Then , a male came in through the swinging doors. He was quite tall, around Kuwabara's height, short, messy brown hair that came down around his ears, and light muscles on his arms. He looked like a genuine jackass.

"Jake-san, I want you to meet Hiei." Sitsumi directed the male over to me. "Hiei, this is one of my clients for Mei's and my catering service, Jake Austin."

He extended his hand instead of bowing in the traditional manner. He must be American like Shien. They normally greet each other with their hands. I took it, gripping it firmly, but taking care not to break it. I didn't think Sitsumi would appreciate that. "It is very nice to meet you, Mr.?" His Japanese was slightly off, and his accent was terrible. I wanted to suggest to learn the language before coming to another country.

"Just Hiei." I stated, looking him straight in the eye.

"Then, please, cal me Jake, Hiei-san."

"Hn." I let go of his filthy human hand, glad to be rid of it.

"We'll be leaving in a few, Hiei. I just need to discuss some business with Jake-san. K?" She smiled at me with that innocent and happy to see me smile. I nodded. "Let's go into the office, Jake-san."

"Lead the way, Sitsumi-chan." He put his hand on the small of her back, eliciting a silent, deep growl to escape from my throat. How dare he touch her? How dare he say -chan?

Male demons are very possessive over their property, especially their women, and since I see Sitsumi as belonging to me, I'll have no other touching her. Especially him. I don't like the way he was eyeing her costume.

I stepped forward to snatch the other male's hand off of her when the cat got in my way. She smiled a knowing smile at me. She stuck her tongue out at me, then leapt onto my shoulder, purring while rubbing her face against my cheek. She jumped down when Sitsumi and her client were in her office. Damn cat distracted me before I could do anything.

I glared at it. She glared right back, but with more of a scolding behind her eyes.

I'll never understand why that cat hates me, but I can understand that the feeling is mutual.

……….

She led me to the park after her discussion with Jake. She changed and told me to follow her. She wanted to show me something that was special to her. A sort of "secret" haven she found when she was a child.

The wind blew against us, calling forth rain water. I can smell the impending downpour all around us. The sky was a light grey that covered the sun in a blanket of fluff. She led me by the hand, going deeper and deeper into the park until we were at the wood's edge. She led me off the walkway and into the darkness of the small green forest. The trees shifted in the breeze.

Her gaze was kept straight ahead, focused on her path. There was no conversation or eye contact between the two of us. Just her hand clenching to mine as if I'd leave if she let go.

I heard a triumphant, "Ha!" coming from her when we got to a clearing with a large willow tree in the center. She led me under the thin branches that whispered in the cooling breeze, perhaps anticipating the rain. She led me deeper into the cover of the tree, the grass shrinking to moss.

"Here it is!" She looked at me, her smile radiant in the dim light under the shadow of the willow. "Isn't it beautiful, Hiei?"

I looked around seeing nothing particularly interesting. Just damp ground and moss covered soil. "If you say so."

She led me to the trunk. The thick stem towering over us like a gnarled giant. "Did you know this tree is almost a hundred years old, Hiei? To think that it could survive this long."

I nodded, trying to please her by agreeing with her. I think that's how Kurama usually gets in the good graces of his mate. "I wish I could get to the top." My eyes widened. She said it, and like an invisible will not of my own, I picked her up and told her to close her eyes. She gave me a confused look before obeying. Then, I leapt onto the lowest branch and flitted to the others until I got to the very top.

When I set her down, I held her as close to me as I could, not wanting to let the klutz fall fifty feet down.

She opened her eyes and gave a gasp. She didn't say anything. Her voice was speechless as she looked out over the forest. The trees around us acting as alls of bark and leaves, shielding us from prying eyes. Her arms were wound tightly against my waist. Most likely not wanting to loose her balance. When I looked down into her gazing blue eyes, I saw them turn into a sort of cerulean blue, the color that means she's happy.

She must have sensed me looking at her, because she looked up at me and smiled before bring her lips to mine.

……….

We were back inside her apartment. I was in the shower wanting to relax myself. Sitsumi was waiting for me in her living room, reading a book.

I placed my forehead against the cool wet wall, letting the water pour itself onto my back. I couldn't believe the self control I kept while I was with her. The things that ran through my mind while we were on that tree top, soaking wet when the rain started to pour, but continued. I wrapped her in my arms and made sure to give as much as I took from her. Her small frame felt so soft, even when wet. I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to leave it with just a kiss. I wanted to take everything from her. I wanted whatever she could give me. Willingly… or not.

What foiled my plan was the fact that it was a thunder storm and a lighting bolt struck not too far from us. A close call can certainly bring down the mood.

I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist, then walked out of the bathroom into the cold and dry living room. She was sitting on the love seat, reading whatever book she had in her hands.

I went to the dresser to retrieve some articles of clothing when I heard a sharp intake of breath and smelled the scent of tears. I immediately turned around and went to her, to see why she was so upset.

I looked down at her, tearstains on the page of the book she was reading. I lifted her chin to make her look at me. She smiled. "You done, Hiei?" She whispered, the choking in her voice apparent.

"What's wrong." I looked at her sternly, brushing away a rouge tear on her cheek.

She gave a tiny laugh. "Nothing, Hiei. It's just that the book is really sad." She sniffed again, trying to clear her nose passage. She wiped at her eye, trying to stifle the flow of tears.

I took the book from her hands. "Then don't read it."

She tried grabbing for it, missing entirely. "Hiei, it's a really good book and I wanna finish it."

"Not if it's going to make you cry." I looked into her agitated icy blue eyes.

"But that's the whole point, Hiei. It's supposed to make you feel empathy."

"So?"

"You are being totally unreasonable."

"Am I?" I gave an amused smirk, making her huff and try to grab the book again. I stepped out of the way, making her fall flat on her face.

"Hiei, give me that book back right now."

"And what exactly do I get in return?"

"I… uh… hmmm." She sat cross-legged on the ground a finger to her chin. "What would you want?" She looked at me with those dark blue orbs.

I couldn't believe how perfect an opportunity this was. I was already half naked after all.

I stalked over to her, making my movements predatory and smooth. I kneeled down to her eye level and stole a kiss. "I'm sure I can think of something." Grabbing her chin, I forced my tongue into her mouth, a surprised sound came from her throat.

I pulled her closer, having her wrap her legs around my waist as I steadily worked her into passioned heat. I could already smell her arousal. A sweet intoxicating scent of allure. There isn't a smell that I've known to be sweeter.

Again, she was being very shy. Lightly cupping my face in her hands, and allowing me to overpower her. I liked her submission, but sometimes, it takes too damn long for her to get comfortable enough for us to do anything further than a touch and go, which reminds me.

I clamped my mouth around her quick pulsing throat, making perfect indentions with my teeth. My hands traveled up the back of her shirt and unclasped her bra, eliciting a small sort of mewling sound from her. I nipped my way down from her neck to her collarbone, listening to the sound of her beating heart. I don't know why, but the sound made me grow hard and impatient. It was like listening to the sound of a ticking clock, marking time and how much I was wasting with just foreplay.

I needed to finish this before the cat decides to ruin my fun.

I stood up, taking her with me. I stalked over to the bed and gently laid her down with me hovering over her, closing my mouth over her throat, feeling the beat of her pulse on my tongue.

I could practically taste the red liquid.

I kneaded her soft cream colored flesh with my hands, wanting to hear her tiny, shy, pleased sounds. The more I heard, the more I wanted to do to her.

I pulled her shirt over her head and nipped at the newly exposed flesh it hid. The skin seemed softer and more of a prize than what her hands and neck could offer. I worked my way up to her breasts, covered by that damn bra. I pulled it away and flung it across the room. I saw the tiny pinkish cream colored peaks. I placed a hand over one. I heard a tiny gasp come from her. I squeezed at it, testing it, measuring with my eyes. Not big, but enough was able to fill my hand fully.

When I let the towel fall away, I looked at her. She was trying to shield emotions from me, but I could see the shade of pink on her cheeks. She may be able to conceal some of her emotions, but her eyes can speak volumes to me with just a glance. I saw the uncertainty and innocence there. She looked my way and quickly looked down. It was amusing to see her be so shy, like a toddler meeting a stranger. Her vulnerability is like candy on my tongue.

I went back up to her and kissed her again. I'll admit it. I want her. I want her more than any other that I've ever bedded. I want this simple little human more than a demoness in her prime. I just wanted her. If there was ever a time when I didn't want her, it's a forgotten memory.

I continued to run my hands all over her skin, needing her to relax and fully give in to me. Yet the ministrations seemed one sided. It's nice to be the dominant, to take control and always be on top, but there is a difference with touching and being touched, and… I wanted her to touch me.

She gasped when my thumb had reached into the waistband of her pants, rubbing a small circle into her skin. I went back to her throat and bit into her jugular.

"Ah." She whimpered. Her hands grabbed fists of my hair. She held on so tight that it was starting hurt, but then again… I liked it. When I bit harder, she pulled, and when she pulled, more blood ran south, and releasing the pressure became top priority.

I slipped off her pants and underwear. I didn't give her time to think, nor myself, as I nipped my way down to her sex. She immediately closed her legs and sat up, making me growl in agitation.

"H-Hiei. What are you d-d-doing?" Her face was ablaze, her eyes wide, and her hands tried to cover herself from me.

I refuse to be denied. I pushed her back down and I felt my demonic instincts starting to take over. I growled in her ear, earning a surprised gasp. I bit into her shoulder, making it bleed, the beginning of the punishment that was about to come. I'll ravish her until she begs me to take her, begs me to shove myself so far inside of her that she bleeds, I'll fuck her until she can't stand, I'll stop when the last bit of my energy fails me. I won't be denied to what I deem as rightfully mine, not by anyone, not even her.

She made a yelp like an injured animal bringing me back to my senses. I tasted her blood in my mouth. The pulse made it flood in waves. Her hands clutched at my shoulders, trying to pierce me with her delicate little nails, and then I smelt the salt of her tears.

I realized what I had done.

I treated her like I would another demon, one who is fully capable of taking my beatings and still have enough strength for more. But a human is an entirely different manner. These creatures are so fragile that they break with just a snap of a finger. And what I did to her, the most vulnerable of them, seemed cruel and inhumane.

I retracted my fangs and slowly lapped up her blood.

I heard a strangled sob come from her. I've never felt the twang of remorse. It's certainly a bitch. I wrapped her in my arms and cradled her. I rubbed my cheek against hers, I petted her hair, I made shushing sounds to try and comfort her. Things that I'd never thought of doing to another being. Things that I thought to be useless actions.

"I'm… sorry. Hiei."

I couldn't believe what came from her mouth. She was sorry. Such a stupid, stupid little girl she is. Her thought process is one that I could never even begin to comprehend. She makes me so angry with myself… but at the same time… accepting. She should be angry with me, lash out, run away, do something that is mentally sane. But she stays here and apologizes for nothing. It reminded me of when we first met. How I nearly broke her wrist for just wanting to touch me. She apologized then too. Saying that if she hadn't had startled me, it wouldn't have happened. I'm the one who should be in control of myself. She shouldn't need to apologize to me for things I did to her. I never wanted to punch more sense into anyone my entire life.

"Shut up, you stupid idiot. Shouldn't you be screaming for help or calling your damned human police? I just bit your fucking neck off and you're gonna sit here and apologize to me? What sort of mental patient are you? Don't you care about your well being at all?" I shook my head. "Why can't you be like the rest of them? Why don't you run from me? Why aren't you afraid?!!" She looked into my eyes with a searching look, and she stayed silent. **"Answer me!!"**

Her eyes bled to a turquoise blue as tears started to appear in her eyes. I got off of her and sat on the bed. For once, I just didn't know what to do with myself anymore. I didn't know what I wanted to do with her anymore. It seemed that whatever plans I had have to be thrown aside. I need to leave.

When I got up she grabbed my wrist making me turn to face whatever fear she had in her eyes. "Hiei…" But when I looked at her, fear wasn't what I saw… "Please, please don't leave me…" It was something that was deeper than sadness… "I want you to stay. I know you didn't mean it, Hiei. I know it." There was so much water in her eyes that it seeped like rivers down her face… "Please don't leave me alone."

…Alone…

Just that one word echoed throughout my mind. It lingered like a shadow at day break, following me wherever I went. It didn't matter the friends I made or the family I have. My family, the very last of them, can never know the truth. Yukina can't ever know that I'm her brother, and because of that, I can never truly be in her children's lives as their uncle. And my so called "friends"? Eventually they'll all leave me one day, realizing the danger they are all in by standing near me. They don't know. They couldn't possibly understand what it truly means to be so… unwanted.

Yet I can plainly see that whatever pain I went through… she's been through as well. The hell of being despised and gotten rid of, the anger at being left to fend for yourself throughout your life, and the dying hope of being accepted and cared for.

But she knows.

I can see it.

I can see…

"Won't you stay, Hiei? Please?" That pleading look in her eyes, the way she nibbled at her finger in nervous anticipation, the position she was sitting in made me not refuse her. How could I?

I sat back down and she crawled into my lap. She held me in her arms, petting my hair, and cooing things about it being all right. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face into her hair, wanting to hear the beating of her heart.

"Hiei?"

"Hm?"

"I love you. More than anything."

My eyes widened as my veins ceased their blood flow. My lungs stopped breathing.

"I love you more than rain. I love you more than air. I love you more than I could ever love anything else. I just love you, Hiei. You make me so happy… so happy to be alive." She started to sob into my shoulder. "I just…"

I shut her up by stealing another kiss. I shut her up by placing her beneath me. I shut her up by placing myself within her so deep that my veins burned from the searing contact. And that's when I found out that I just took… her virginity.

She yelped in pain once again, she gripped my shoulders, trying to pierce my tough skin with her tiny delicate nails. I moved within her. She writhed beneath me, crying out my name to the night. Her breathing labored as I tried to go in and out of her as gently as I could. You don't know how hard that is with someone as tight as she is, her small body most likely the cause of it. I went faster, needing more friction between us, and harder… at her request. I slid in and out of her, the rhythm smooth yet quick.

I couldn't take much more. The contrast of her frigid body on the outside combined with her burning hot core on the inside drove my sense of touch wild with ecstasy. Her panting breaths, her weak thrusts forward, her cries of genuine pleasure mixed with pain, her eyes looking at me as if I was the sole purpose in her life… made my body want to come harder than it ever did before.

But I didn't. Every move I made was to give her whatever she wanted. Whatever she desired I'll give it. I'll give it to her because… because…. Because she understands me.

I dug deep into her, hitting her at her g-spot over and over again. The screams she made were more music to my ears that any other sound that I have ever heard in my life. She kept calling my name over and over gain, actually begging me not to stop. And I won't stop. Not for anything. Not until she satiated.

Her coming was something that I couldn't begin to describe. More of her molten hot liquid had just burst out of her all at once, taking the sensations of my lower regions to new heights. She slumped back onto the pillows, exhausted, as I thrusted into her a few more times before my orgasm ripped through me and spilled my seed deep inside of her, sending delighted shivers down her spine.

I placed my head between the valley of her breasts and slept. I slept in her arms, her hands tangling themselves in my hair and her legs still wrapped around my waist, her feet resting between my thighs. I was too tired to get back up and pull myself out of her. But then again… why would I want to?

She fell asleep with me on top of her. The scent of her sweaty body filled my nostrils and made my eyelids droop then close.

Before I went sleep… I heard her voice echoing in my mind. Like a lingering shadow at day break.

"_I love you more than rain. I love you more than air. I love you more than I could ever love anything else. I just love you, Hiei. You make me so happy"_

I realized what it felt like to be wanted.

TBC…

LS: GOD I hope that wasn't a crappy ending. And thank you all for reviewing. I hope you'll be able to bear with me. Life has been pretty hectic, seeing as my mom ALMOST gave birth to twins on Saturday. Lucky she didn't shove 'em out yet. They still have a few weeks in the oven to go!

Don't worry. It might take a while but I WILL up-date. I refuse to leave this story unfinished!! I shall write till I can't write no mores!! That is unless I don't get anymore reviews. I don't do this for free ya know. :P

**13Lulu's- **Actually. Their relationship takes time over quite a few months. They met sometime in August, and this chapter is at the end of January. I just skipped time and had Hiei have some flash backs. Sorry if that's confusing but I'm not gonna make a day to day cap on what's going on in their love life. That's way too much to do. So I skip time while Hiei gives a recap on what happened. You really don't need to know EVERYTHING that happens. You just need to know the really important and JUICY parts. So they've kinda been dating for... five months... not counting August since they were kinda getting to know eachother then, and their relationship

So anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you review!! BTW **I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHAPTER 12!!!! **Coming soon to a computer near you!!


	10. Chapter 10

LS: Thank you THANK YOU!!! I love you all!! I'm so sorry I haven't up-dated. The twins are a nightmare. There is NO me-time whatsoever so please FORGIVE MEEE!!! I've barely slept because of the agonized screaming of BABIES!! The migraines are killing me. T-T But I am so glad you guys are still here to read the rest of this story. That makes me feel so loved!! ^0^

**PLEASE VOTE!!! **I put up a poll. Now do your magic readers!!

_**IMPORTANT!!!!!:**_ I had a reviewer ask me if their relationship was going too fast. I just want to make it clear that their relationship has actually taken a course of five months, the first month not included cause they were getting to know each other. I just skipped over things cause that would be too much boring romantic things to write. A day to day cap on their love life is not my cup of tea. I'm just letting you know the really good parts. ^0^

At first Hiei just flat out hated her cause she was human. Then he was just being a little protective which led to them being together. I think it was when they first started holding hands that their relationship started to be romantic.

I hope that makes sense.

BTW. The twelfth chapter is _**NOT **_THE ENDING!!! Don't even THINK like that. There is still so many loose ends to tie up!! The Aoitsuki, the Fubuki sisters, even Naoko's BABY!!!!!! Too much to do to just be put in three chapters!!! I barely got to the plot!!! I know I'm good but not THAT good!! That's just NUTS!!

I can't WAIT for chapter 12!!

ONWARD!!!

**Tokyo-con**

…..Milkshakes…..

I told her.

Over and over again.

You can't say I didn't because I really, really did try.

I tried to tell her… that that demon… will cause her heart nothing but pain in the future.

And…

There's really nothing I can do about it.

I can't protect her anymore.

Especially not her heart.

I won't be able to save her like her mother wanted me to.

Especially not after that night.

The night she gave him her heart fully, and willingly.

And all I could do was watch them from outside the window

In the pouring rain

Wishing her the best.

Knowing her doomed fate from the start.

…..Hiei…. Human World…. One week later…..

It was mid-afternoon, and I hadn't felt this good in all my life. I was laying on the couch with the girl lying on top of me, both of us completely nude and the only thing shielding us from the world was a thin sheet of cloth. Our previous activities had definitely worn her out.

Screwing her has been the best decision I've made. I get to come to the human world and be able to make due with my time instead of wasting it on sleep. I wish I would've done this months ago. There's nothing like the feel of a warm blooded woman in your arms.

I felt her finger draw lazy patterns across my chest, going every which way, teasing me without realizing it. I grabbed her hand and raised it to my lips, kissing it and occasionally nipping at the skin. I felt a shudder go through her, making me smirk in anticipation for another round.

I flipped the two of us over, being gentle, not wanting to give her another bruise. It was accidental, but there still. Guilt was never an emotion I liked.

I entered her, foreplay already out the window and her core already prepared for more abuse.

I held her down by her hips, and set a slow pace, her body already in bliss rapture. Her weak and tired fingers managed to entangle themselves in my hair. I could feel her try to pull, but she just didn't have the strength to carry it out. We barely started and her breathing was already labored. I could feel her heart pounding in my ears, the rhythm enticing me to go faster.

I felt her clench around me, the sudden grip and release making me shudder. And when I felt her nearly at her climax, my cell phone went off.

The ring tone being Mukuro's.

I was so angry I wanted to punch a whole through Kurama, the very demon who gave me that stupid device.

…..Hiei…. Demon world …..

"Of all the people to be stuck with, it just had to be you!" I hit the troublemaker on her head giving her a lump the size of my fist.

"OWW!! That is SOOOOOO MEAAAAANNN!!! You big bully!! Why can't you be nicer to me, Sparky?!!!" She whined right back.

"Maybe I'd be a little more tolerant if you didn't stir up trouble!" I hit her again on the same spot, bruising the annoying child some more.

"ABUSE ABUSE!!! MEM!! Sparky's hitting me!!!" She reached out to the bookworm who was quietly sitting on the couch, reading.

She only glanced over her book with an unsympathetic stare. "He'd probably leave you alone if you left him alone, Emmie."

A fountain of tears started to pour from her eyes. "Oh, Mem you're so cruel. TRAITOR!!!" Her mood swiftly changed from depressed to malicious. "I'll get you for this Mem!! I'll find you and gut you like a fish!!"

"As if you could get through my defenses." She responded nonchalantly.

"Well I could still try!!"

I was getting so aggravated. "Get the hell out of my office!!" I swiftly kicked her through the open doorway and slammed it. I mumbled under my breath about stupid insolent pests. What I would give to get back to the human world. I'd be away from the four sisters and have more pressing matters to attend to besides babysitting.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying in vain to stifle the oncoming headache.

"I'm sorry."

I looked over to Memoru, her nose still in that book. I raised an eyebrow at her comment. "For what exactly?"

"For Emmie. She didn't use to be that way."

I stayed silent, if she wants to continue, I'll allow it. If not, then it's not any of my business. I'm certainly not going to edge her on.

"She actually used to be just like Nina, believe it or not. In fact, back then, the only way to tell them apart was their hair and eye color, seeing as they're fraternal twins. But everything else about them. Their style, their actions, their thoughts, even their speech was so incredibly alike. I think the change started when her mother died. The three of them were very close. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that Emmie blames herself for her mother's death. And ever since then, I think she feels as if she has to take care of the only family she has left, and that's Nina. And I think that she thought she couldn't do it unless she was stronger than those around her. So I'm sorry. For her."

I kept my silence, seeing as she went inside herself to contemplate her thoughts. She must have been pondering this for a long time, her speech was mechanical and contemplative. Whatever the reason that that little brat is so annoying, she is still a pain in the ass.

I turned to leave, all of a sudden in need of fresh air. I was stopped by her voice.

"By the way, Hiei. Emmie annoys the people she likes the most." I looked at her and saw the "innocent" smile she displayed for me.

"Hn." I left.

…..Kurama….. Human world…..

"Please, Kurama?!!! We GOTTA GO!!!" Naoko whined while showed me a poster advertising Tokyo Con (note: I haven't the slightest idea if this exists. I'm making this up as I go.) "This is gonna be the BIGGEST anime convention in the history of MANKIND!!!! We just GOTTA GO!!!!" She batted her long full lashes at me, trying to sway my answer.

"I don't know, Naoko. The excitement might be too much for you to handle. Like you said, it will be the biggest event of the season and I don't want you getting worked up. It could harm the baby." I tried to reason. To be honest, I just didn't want to go. Naoko can get very competitive with other otakus, which, by the way, she'll drag me into. Not to mention she'll want to cos-play, and most likely put me in a dress, then she'll want to take pictures of this "momentous" occasion, and make a great fuss over her costume. Not exactly my cup of tea. "We shouldn't risk it."

"But I…" A sad and tormented look came across her features. One that she usually has when she thinks about… the previous pregnancies. "You're right. I'm not strong enough to handle it."

My eyes widened as I looked at her. I didn't mean it in that way. I didn't mean to make her feel so… weak. I didn't mean to make her remember our first attempts at having a child.

She never completely got over it. A rouge demon that had gotten through the barrier came upon Naoko. She being the fighter that she is, defended herself. However, the demon was too strong for her to handle with the baby still growing inside of her, and so, he gave a swift blow to her abdomen… and killed it.

She cried endlessly for nights over the loss. There was nothing that I could say to comfort her. Nothing that I could say to make her pain disappear. I blamed myself for it every waking minute. I wasn't there to protect the only thing that truly mattered in both of my lives as a human and a demon.

She then came to me one night wanting to try once more. And we succeeded with the pregnancy… but not with the birth. The demon from before had damaged her uterus, making it impossible for the second baby to live. It was a still born. Again, she didn't take it well. Naoko had gone suicidal after that. There were countless of times when I caught her writing her suicide letters or slitting her wrists or preparing to hang herself. It was a dark time then. The house was cold no matter what anyone did to cheer her up. Everything just seemed so meaningless, not only to her, but to everyone else around her, and most significantly, me. I couldn't leave Naoko out of my sight. I was afraid of her hurting herself again. It was maddening to think of all the ways she could do harm. That was the very first time in my life that I truly felt fear.

She woke up in the middle of the night once, crying like she had for the first lost child. She continued to blame herself for not being strong enough to have my children and said that I would be better off with another woman, another mate. I couldn't believe what she had told me. How she could insinuate that I could ever be happy without her. I only wanted to have a baby because she wanted one, I didn't need a child to be happy. She was enough for me. But I didn't want to see her cry anymore. I had made a proposition. We would try once more, and only that once. If we are unable to produce a child, then we can give up and continue our lives together. She had agreed.

So far, we have been blessed.

…..Hiei….. Human world…..

I sat on a tree limb and watched as the children played with each other. Tossa and Toshi, Kuwabara's brats, were fighting over a lollipop. One had pushed the other, making her drop her sucker and she wants the other's sucker in return. At least that's what I got out of all the yelling.

One threw a punch and tackled her sister to the ground. They wrestled one another, completely forgetting about the candy. It was a full scale battle between the two. They punched, kicked, mauled, bit, and head butted each other for the right to claim victory.

They did this very often. The two of them had always competed. It reminded me a lot of Yusuke and Kuwabara and how they would argue incessantly over nothing. These two may have the physical appearance of their mother, but their personalities are that of the oaf. Sweet and innocent one minute and berserk the next.

I leapt from my perch on the tree and went to break the two of them up. I grabbed the scruff of their collars and pried them apart, holding them in the air. However, they continue to try and get to the other.

Why am I always stuck babysitting?

I hate children.

And these brats make my life a living hell. If I ever have children I'll be sure they'll be so disciplined they won't even know the meaning of stepping out of line.

Kids of my own. Now there's hell on earth. There is no way this or any world would be able to handle any brat of mine.

"No YOU'RE a doo-doo head!!!"

"Nuh uh, YOU'RE the doo-doo head!!!" They continued to argue. I sighed, wondering why I put up with them, any of them. Nina one made a comment on how much they seemed to love me.

Tch. Love? I'm more like a play thing to these children. Before there were so many, I tried to stay as far away as I could. I didn't want them to obtain any of my habits, qualities, or murderous intents. I knew that in order to keep them innocent longer, I'd have to leave them be. However the plan backfired. They actually wanted to play with me more since they don't see me often. They wanted what was hard to get, and that something was me. So instead of losing interest in me, they merely plotted ways to come across my path even more. After a while I just gave up and allowed them to hang, climb, jump, and even swing on me.

Naoko actually laughed at me for trying.

I try to do as little damage as I can with their mental state. I don't want to be the cause of their loss of innocence.

…..Hiei ….. Sitsumi's apartment…..

"Hiei!" I was glomped by Sitsumi the second I stepped through the door. I caught her in my arms and held her against me as she nuzzled my neck. She was wearing a very short bathrobe.

"I've missed you so much, Hiei." She planted kisses all along my collar bone, nipping at my skin from time to time. The attention nearly made me loose my focus.

"I've only been gone for a day." I let one of my hands glide down her back and stop at the curve of her bottom, giving it a light squeeze, making her press her self closer to me.

"So? Who says there's a specific time to start missing someone? Dogs miss their masters right when they walk out the front door." She gave a hard nip to my neck, making me take a sharp breath of air into my lungs. It didn't hurt, her dull human teeth couldn't rip through a wet paper bag, but it made my lower regions pulsate with anticipation.

"You saying I'm your master, Sitsumi?" I grabbed a fistful of her hair, making her tilt her head so I can see her pulsing vein beneath her skin. I covered it with my mouth, feeling it beat against my tongue.

"That depends, Hiei, how much would you say you love me?"

I smirked. "That depends. What do you want?" I remember how the fox's woman would play that card on him, and if my observations are correct, Sitsumi is trying to do the same with me. Tch. Females. Predictable, but their art of manipulation was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Well, Mei got us two tickets to go to Tokyo Con, but now she can't go because her doctor says she needs to be in bed rest, and now I have an extra ticket but no one to go with and I was wondering if Hiei could go with me and make me very, very happy!!" She looked up at me, her eyes watery and her lips pouting.

"No." I stepped away from her.

"AWW come on Hiei, please?!! It'll be so much fun." She followed me across the room.

"Absolutely not. There is no way in hell I would be caught dead at one of those freak shows."

"But…"

"No." And I stared her down. She was glaring at me trying to intimidate me, the thought of it nearly making me laugh, though I must admit that she was rather cute.

"Come one, Hiei. There's gotta be something I can do to make you say yes."

I was about to bite back with another no, but knew she would go to plan B, which was tears. I can't stand a crying female. Usually, the watery eyes get to me, but I didn't want to give in so easily every time.

I sighed and sat down, putting my elbow on the armrest and cradled my head on my hand. "Then convince me."

This move caught her off guard, I could tell she was fully willing to cry her heart out if I continued to decline, but I could tell this was something she wasn't expecting. Her eyes showed confusion. "Convince you?" She whispered.

"Exactly."

She blushed and looked away from me, which had me raise an eyebrow. I wasn't sure what she was so embarrassed by, until she slowly started to slip out of her bathrobe. She untied the knot, and exposed both of her bare shoulders to me, all the while her face a deep crimson clashing with her porcelain skin. She raised her eyes to me, glowing with a shy innocence I've only seen on her. She slowly approached me, her bathrobe discarded on the floor. She had a black and white bra on with the matching underwear.

I swallowed hard as my mouth went dry.

She slowly walked over to my perch on the chair, her hands over her mouth trying to cover up her shyness. She finally sat down on my lap, lightly putting her forehead against mine, making me have eye contact her. She removed her hands and pecked my lips with a delicate kiss, touching me for only a small moment.

There was no escaping her dark blue depths, a blue that was so dark, it was almost black; a darkness that would seem so sinister, and yet, with the light behind them, perhaps the one that shines within her soul, the color was more angelic than any painting of any angel.

I didn't want to blink.

"Please, Hiei?" Her voice took a quieter pleading tone, almost like a servant begging to her master, wanting him to stop beating her. It made me angry. "Please come with me? I promise we'll only stay for a little while. Please don't let me go alone."

I hated this girl for batting her pretty eyes at me. I hate her for being so naive and innocent even when we've done a lot more shit that a porn star could ever dream of. I hate her for manipulating me, toying with me with her body, the damn little slut. And I hate her for being able to break me down to my very core. My walls would never be strong enough to keep her out.

I gave in… again… however, waking up naked beside her the next day really wasn't all that bad. It almost made me smile.

Almost.

…..Three days later at Sitsumi's house, hours before Tokyo-con…..

"Awwwww, come on, Hiei. Let me see." She called from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Absolutely not. I look ridiculous. There is no way I am wearing this in public." I yelled right back.

"Come one, Hiei. There is no way your uber bishiness would ever be covered by any clothing you may wear. NOW LET ME SEE IT!!!!!!" She nearly screamed at me through the door..

I finally sucked it up and came out. I can't believe I ever agreed to this.

I looked at her, her eyes glowing with… ugh… fan girl stars. It was bad enough to see Naoko get that same dazed and obsessive look in her eyes whenever she watches those damn anime shows on that damn human contraption they call a damn TV. I looked at her attire. She had a blonde wig on her head and a pink frilly dress on. She held a cane with a sort of crystal on top in one hand and a black book cradled in her other arm.

She took in a deep breath, I covered my ears knowing what was coming.

0 "_**SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_"

"Oh my GOD, Hiei you look so adorable I can't believe how much the two of you look a like. It's just so cute!!! I told you you'd look good as Brago!!"

"Bravo?"

"No, it's BRA and GO. You know, from Zatch Bell. When I saw that episode with him last night I just KNEW you had to cosplay as him. There is no other way about it!! I mean the two of you practically look like brothers!! OR EVEN TWINS!!!!"

I sighed. There was white and black makeup on my face, my hair was "fashioned to perfection" (even though she just ran a brush through it), and I had a fishnet shirt and a faux black fur cape. I looked like some sort of Goth from that American band called… Mary Manson? Marilyn Madison? Fuck it. Just another freakish ceremonial human music they always seem to play.

GOD DAMN THIS CAPE ITCHES!!

"You look so cute. We should take a picture together, Hiei!!" She grabbed her camera and set it up on the nightstand. She stood by me and held me in place by latching onto my arm, knowing I would bail at the last second. "Smile, Hiei!!"

I did no such thing.

Once the flash went off she smiled at me and pecked my lips. "Hiei, is so sweet." She then led me out of her small apartment and towards the blocked off city streets where this Tokyo-con will take place.

….. Naoko…. Genkai's temple……

"HIEI!! Where the hell are you?!!!! YOU CAN'T BAIL ON US THIS TIME!!!!!!! **TODAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT OF OUR LIVES!!!!!**" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I can't believe that little cretin. How dare he miss the greatest event to EVER be placed on this God forsaken planet!!! TODAY IS SPECIAL!!!!!

It's Tokyo-con for cryin out loud!!!!

Oh he will pay most dearly for this insult. And I had the perfect costume and everything. I was gonna make him go as Brago from Zatch Bell. After seeing last night's episode I thought Hiei got into an anime before I saw that this dude has gravitational powers instead of fire. But I knew that he just HAD to go as Brago. I mean they look SOOOOOO much the same it's like they're twins!!!!!!!!

Where did I put my costume? AHA!!!!

My cat ears perked up from a knock on the door. I turned my head to see Yoko Kurama dressed and ready to sweep me off my feet and take me to the magical kingdom of anime nerds, geeks, and freaks. He's such a romantic!!

He immediately had me in his arms and heatedly kissed me, laying me down on the bed, unclipping my bra. "Kurama… We're gonna…. Be… late…" I tried to reason between kisses.

"Mmmmm, later."

"Hey wait a minute." I pushed him off and sat up. "You sneaky little fox. You're trying to distract me so we won't go aren't ya?!!"

He gave me a smug smile. "That depends, is it working?" He tried to go for another kiss. I dodged it and went into the bathroom, locking him out.

"There is nothing that will keep me from going to Tokyo-con. Not the baby, not Hiei's absence, not God, NOT EVEN YOU FOX BOY!!!!" I yelled at him from through the door.

"You really can't blame me for trying, Pussycat." I could feel him leaning against the door. Damn fox.

"Just you wait, I'll be the best dressed cos-player out there!!! So suck it!!"

"I'd like to, Pussycat, but you happen to be on the other side of this door, so I'm at a loss of capability at the moment."

I punched the door, making him bounce off. "Shut it, ya horny toad!!"

….. Hiei …. Tokyo-con…

The girl held my hand, leading me through the mass crowd of humans dressed like those characters they see on their television screen. It was disgusting, sickening to see all of these humans worship cartoon characters that have no significance in life or survival. I hate the one who made this fad. It turns humans into raving lunatics.

I frowned, my brow creasing into heavy lines. Sitsumi must have sensed my discomfort as she placed her lips on my cheek and held me tighter to her. "Thank you for coming, Hiei. You don't know how happy this makes me. When we get home I'll make you a special treat for being so sweet. Will that make you happy, Hiei?"

"Hn." I didn't really care at the moment. The entire city block was completely crowded. I kept bumping into one human after another, feeling their filthy bodies brushing against my arm, no matter how much I try to retract it back to my body. I heard her sigh, knowing she felt distressed at making me feel uncomfortable. Which made me feel like an ass.

The whole time I've been here, I had been on high alert for any of the others. I know Naoko would try to come to this ceremony, and if Kurama does allow it, he'll be right behind her. I didn't think anyone else would come. That is, until I saw Emmie watching that crap with Naoko, having that same starry fan girl eyes as the rest of these women. It disgusted me.

This new addition will now created a domino effect. The trouble maker and her princess of a sister are never more than two rooms away from each other, so she'll definitely want to come along. Memoru being the responsible one, wouldn't let that monstrosity out into the world without a very short leash, and Jade will most likely come along for the hell of it. And don't think I didn't notice this bonding friendship between my sister and Emmie's sister. The two of them are nearly as inseparable as the twins, not to mention women always do things in packs. Touya wouldn't allow my sister to go by herself. He'll follow her like any other male demon would do for his mate, which will open the doors for not just Jin, but Chuu, Rinku, Shizuka, and ShiShi Wakamaru. Of course we can't forget the detective and his friendship with the wind master and the drunkard, making him come along as well, dragging along his woman. So there you have it. Nearly the entire dysfunctional family that has been forced upon me will be here. And all I have to keep them at bay are my keen senses of detection. Hopefully, they won't ever see me here. Especially in this stupid costume.

Why the HELL does this fucking cape itch so BADLY?!!!!

"Oh, Hiei, look!" She dragged me over to a booth with plush dolls, toys, and… key-chains, is what I think they're called. "Isn't it cute?" She picked up one of the plush toys and showed it to me. It looked like a deformed stuffed lion. "it's Kon from Bleach. Isn't it adorable?"

"Hn." That's pretty much how it went for the next two hours.

….. Kurama …. Tokyo-con……

It was entirely new to be in my true form around so many humans. It felt… relaxing to not worry about my appearance in front of them, all bustling and moving around me. Many of them gawking at my appearance but merely in admiration. There were many women who would pass by and wink or stare, it certainly reminded me of the old days when I practically ruled the underground.

I looked to Naoko, her costume I know to be of a female character from one of her video games. LuLu I think she was called. She was also pregnant in the game, which seemed to fit Naoko perfectly. Though I thought the fur kimono with the countless belts at the front, falling limply, looked a bit silly, and completely illogical. Either way, it seemed to make her happy.

I looked at the crowd of humans, my stature quite a few inches taller than the usually short Asians. I was slightly on edge with so many of them around. There have been a time or two where peaceful events became violent. I didn't want that to happen with Naoko here. Not with the baby still at risk. We are so close to the due date that I don't want anything to happen to our son or daughter. I'm not sure if I can face that again, especially not with Naoko's fragile mental health.

"Hey Kurama, look, it's like an army of Hiei's!!" She pointed to a large group of fans from that anime called Zatch Bell. One of the characters had the spitting image of Hiei. It was quite ironic actually. When Naoko showed it to me, I laughed. "That stupid little midget. Skippin out on the greatest event of our lives. At least we got the rest of the gang to come. The Fubuki Sisters and Yukina look adorable in their Tokyo Mew Mew outfits. For a second there, I thought I was actually seeing them in real life, they're costumes looked so good."

"Yes, it was impressive. And Touya, though a bit put off, looked very nice in his costume as well. However, Naoko, I don't quite agree with drugging Chuu, Shishi Wakamaru, and Jin, then dressing them up just to make them come. We could've been arrested for kidnapping."

"You worry too much." She nudged me with her elbow. That's one of her favorite phrases to say to me. Perhaps I do worry too much, but sometimes I fear that she doesn't worry enough. "Oh, hey. Look at her, Kurama!!" She pointed to a child with blonde hair and wearing a pink dress, a black book cradled in one arm, and a cane held in the other hand. She was at a booth, looking at the trinkets and souvenirs. "Come on. That costume is just too good to not compliment!! She looks like a mini-Sherry!"

She grabbed onto my arm and walked me over to the little girl.

"Hey there!!" Naoko called the girl's attention.

She turned around and smiled as if this is the happiest day of her life. Her sparkling dark blue eyes gave me a sort of chill of familiarity that I couldn't quite place. "What can I do for you?" She asked politely, her cherub face making Naoko give that 'you are just too cute' face.

"I just had to compliment you on your cos-play!! Sherry is not an easy girl to dress as. If you were a little Taller you'd be like a double ganger!!"

"Doppelganger." I corrected.

"That's what I said. A dopple granger."

I sighed, exasperated.

"Thank you so much. You did a great job on yours too. LuLu from Final Fantasy X2, right? Her baby was so adorable. Good thing you got one coming, too, huh?"

"See, Kurama. Someone appreciates my genius. He thinks that just because she didn't look pregnant in the game that I shouldn't go as her."

"I think the creators just got lazy and didn't add that 360 degree dimension to her." The two of them laughed. For a child, she certainly spoke like an adult.

"So how old are you kid? 10, 12, maybe?" I couldn't believe Naoko actually asked that question in such a brash manner.

No, I can believe it, I just don't want to. Even if she's done more audacious actions in the past… like breaking and entering into Yomi's castle and trying to steal one of his most prized artifacts. Coincidentally, that was how we met.

"I'm 23."

Naoko nearly fell from the shock. "No way!! You are so lying!!"

"Nope."

"But you're too cute to be older than a teenager!!"

The small girl smiled widely and laughed. "May I?" She held her hand out to Naoko's swollen stomach. I held myself back from placing Naoko behind me, not wanting anyone to even have the chance at harming the fragile life inside of her. However, that action would be rash and much too overprotective for Naoko's liking. I just hoped Naoko would have enough sense to…

"Sure, go right on ahead." Never mind.

The stranger placed a hand gently on the stomach, then slowly came forward and rested her head on it. Her eyes were closed and her brow furrowed as if in concentration.

I clenched my fist, trying to control myself.

After what seemed to be forever, she finally spoke. "There are two of them."

Naoko gasped in surprise. "How… did you know?"

The girl stood up straight smiling. She put a finger to her lips and said, "A midwife never reveals her secrets. I'd like to tell you the sexes, but I gotta go find a friend of mine. He went to the bathroom and is probably looking for me, since I kinda got lost." She blushed, then turned to go. "Bye, LuLu. Bye Yoko." She walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

We stood there and stared at where she had disappeared. The shock of having twins wasn't what had gotten to me… but the actual fact that she would recognized me.

That same strange sensation came back. I remember having it once before, a few months back, when Yusuke and the others invited me to a small café in the middle of town. Our waitress gave me that same feeling. I know I knew her, but I just didn't know from where. I didn't know from when. Was it from my human years, or demon years?

TBC…

LS: Thank GOD I finally finished this stupid thing!! I sure hope you guys will still review. I still love you guys, I DO!! But it's been busy at the Star house lately. Twins are no laughing matter!!

So, I hope you'll forgive me and leave a review. Even if it's how bad I am at Up-dating.

I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS STORY UNTIL I HAVE WRITTEN THE FINAL WORDS!!!!

Ciao!!


	11. Chapter 11

LS:I can't believe all of you are still reading my story!! I feel loved. I really do.

**PLEASE VOTE!!! **The poll shall be open for a while. So go ahead and put up who you think I should write about next!!

I can't WAIT for chapter twelve! Just one more to go peoples!! It's right after this one!!!

**Hello, Goodbye**

…..Emmie, Tokyo-con…..

There we were. The greatest moment of my life!! IN ALL OF HISTORY!!!

And yet, I couldn't quite enjoy it. I kept getting this really weird feeling. It was just so strange. It sort of felt like an energy source… it felt like it was coming in waves. I would feel it, from somewhere, and as soon as I would pick up on it, it would fade out like the tide. It felt like something that was so new and different, and yet it still seemed like I knew it from a distant dream.

Call it the psychic in me, but I feel something weird in the air. I feel like something doesn't belong here, and that it knew it too. I thought I was going totally nuts!! It was driving me crazy. What I was picking up just didn't feel right. And it didn't feel friendly either. It felt so… evil. It was so strong that at times I had to actually catch my breath. It made me sick. I would get a little lightheaded from it, and then I'd be perfectly fine. I knew that Nina and the others couldn't pick up on it, since it was just too subtle of a feeling. The only reason why I picked up on it is because of my sensei's training, and if she was here, she'd know exactly what it was. She'd know if it was a threat or not, but… I don't. And that really worries me. I can only sense it; I can't tell what it could be. I just didn't know what it was.

Then I thought I saw Hiei pass by. I'd know that grumpy 'I hate you' face anywhere. But when I took a second look… he disappeared into a sea of Bragos. Well… at least I thought it was him. I mean he had that same Hiei appearance… but… he was dressed as Brago, and I know Hiei wouldn't be caught dead at this convention. So I'm not sure whether it was Hiei, or just another fan.

But one thing's for sure, something just isn't right. I can feel it, and not just that doomed feeling I get when Hiei's here, but I feel something else. I feel a sort of presence that can only be described… as a pure, untainted… evil.

And I've never been so scared in my life.

…..Hiei, that night after Tokyo-con…..

I never had such a close call in all of my life. Throughout that whole damned experience, I nearly ran into them countless of times. There were so many incidents that I could've been caught in that I kept having to dodge from their line of sight over and over and over again. It was exhausting enough to be there, but taking cover every ten seconds is just annoying.

Not to mention, it didn't help that the girl got herself lost. I wanted out of that sea of human maniacs as soon as possible. There was no way that I'll ever allow myself to get caught by them in a place like this. Hell would freeze over before then.

When I asked her if we could leave, she smiled at me, and without another word, she took my hand, and we left. I was expecting questions or whining, but she never said a thing about it. She held my hand with her tiny delicate fingers, and led me away from there. No questions asked.

We are in her apartment again, getting ready to go to sleep. I held her in my arms as she wrapped the both of us in her bed sheets. She settled herself down, and nuzzled into my chest. Her hair tickled my arms and neck. It made me long for a certain touch. Though, I wasn't sure if she'd be up for any of that tonight. She is just a human after all, she's probably still exhausted from the convention.

She kissed my cheek sweetly, chastely, before laying her head on the pillow next to mine. She traced her fingers all along my chest, drawing little circles, slowly making her way down to my waist then back up, swirling her tiny fingers around a nipple. My breath hitched. I saw her smile mischievously at her form of foreplay.

I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips, taking a painful nip at the skin, my form of punishment. I could feel her heart racing at the small contact. Her breath seemed to be caught in her throat as she tried to suck in breath after breath with difficulty. I couldn't get enough of her expression, one of innocence, compliance, and pure ecstasy. My lower regions pulsed with excitement.

I really wasn't planning on it, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to indulge myself tonight. Fuck Mukuro's orders of being back in the demon world early. Tonight will be worth all the lectures I'll receive from that woman.

…..February…..

"Good morning', Sparky!!"

My eye twitched at the sound of her voice.

"Watcha doin'?" She was hanging upside-down on the chandelier in the dining room of Mukuro's palace.

I looked up at her with a heated glare. "Get down." I was not in the mood for her today.

"Aww, is wittle Sparky-warky pissed because Mommy Kuro won't let him out to play? Poor Sparky-warky." She cooed at me. My eye twitched again. I hate that girl. "It's okay, though. Emmie is here to save you from the cold grasp of boredom!!" She flipped down from the chandelier to land in front of me. "Mommy Kuro says that you have to take me to my secret hideaway so that I can find my painting." Ah, yes. That painting. The one that'll give us a clue as to what the new Aoitsuki looks like.

"Wasn't the detective supposed to help you with that?"

"Aww, but Uncle Hiei, I thought it would be so much more fun to hang out with you." She batted her big bright yellow eyes at me.

"Then I guess you're going alone." I turned to leave.

"You big jerk." I could feel her sticking her tongue out at me, and frankly, I didn't quite care at the moment.

……….

I was inside Genkai's Temple, the children sitting all around me and on top of me as we watched some program about talking puppets and how to count. I would usually tune it out within ten minutes of the mind numbing crap that came on, but today was something sort of a "sing along" in which all of the little brats around me started singing with the puppets on the show. There is no earplug in any world that could obstruct the deafening sound of their voices trying to match the pitch of the song.

I'd rather be thrown to a pit of snakes than to ever listen to this torture again.

"Awww, how cute." A temple throb formed as my eye started to twitch.

"Hiei, who knew you were such a big softy." Yusuke came over to pinch my cheek. I took a snap at it with my teeth. "Yeesh. Feisty piranha aren't ya?"

I glared at him. I was actually hoping to take at least a finger or two to teach him not to mess with me. "What do you want, detective?" I asked, my annoyance present in my tone.

"Just wanted to ask if you took Emmie to get her painting."

"Weren't you supposed to be doing that?" I glared out of the corner of my eye.

"I thought Mukuro said you'd do it. I mean, you kinda are supposed to look after the twins."

My eyes widened at this and then narrowed back into slits. "I received no such order from that woman. If we need that painting so much, you can go with her to fetch it. I'm not babysitting that brat." I turned back to the program hoping that he would leave it at that.

"Hiei, I don't think you get what I'm telling' ya."

My eye twitched. "And what's that, detective?"

"Koenma said that we have to get that painting as soon as possible. You're gonna have to go back to the demon world to get it. I mean, it is in your territory."

I sighed. "How long will it take?"

"I think Emmie said like… hmmm… two weeks if Jade's GPS system she just made works in Demon World."

I snapped my head around to look at him in disbelief. Two weeks? With her? I'd rather be tarred, feathered and paraded around Makai, then commened with being suffocated by the thick feathers.

"Well, have fun!!" He walked out. I sat there. With the children, contemplating my revenge on each and every single one of them, Yusuke, Koenma, and Mukuro. I hate my life.

……….

I walked towards the Blue Moon Café. The sun was high in the sky, the snow finally starting to melt. When I arrived just outside a block away, I saw four men being thrown out of the café.

"And STAY out!!!" I saw Sitsumi throwing their jackets at them before heading back inside. The four men on the ground ran. I went inside to see what had happened.

When I entered, I saw Sitsumi cleaning up shattered plates and the silverware strewn across the floor. She looked to me when she heard the small ching of the bell above the door ring. "Hi, Hiei!" She waved to me. She disposed of the broken pieces in a small plastic bag and handed the forks to Mei.

The patrons in the café seemed to be looking at her constantly, I heard some quiet whispers about how strong she must be in order to throw those men out.

I walked up to her. "What happened?"

She turned to me and with a smile said, "Well, these guys came in and it was a regular routine. Take the orders and cook 'em up, but those bastards!!!" It was rare for Sitsumi to use any foul language, and even if she did, it's usually in a playful tone, not really being serious, but this definitely held malice and anger. "He slapped my ass as if I was a cocktail waitress at a cheap bar!! So I had to teach them a lesson. I knocked him in the face and threw them all out. I won't tolerate such behavior in my restaurant." The customers, mostly women, clapped at her small speech. She smiled brightly and bowed. "Thank you, thank you." She looked to me again. "I'll meet you upstairs, kay?"

I nodded, and walked through the doors to the kitchen that led to the stairs to her apartment.

……….

I sat her down. I wanted to make sure she was paying attention. I didn't want to tell her this, but might as well let her think that she means enough to let her know what's happening.

"Leaving?" She looked at me with downcast eyes. "For how long, Hiei?"

"It'll only be fore two weeks. I have something very important to do for my… job."

"So it's a business trip, Hiei?" Her blue eyes were of a turquoise color, tears started protruding from the corners of her eyes.

"Yes exactly. Please don't cry, Sitsumi. I'll be back in two weeks. I promise." I tried to calm her down. I already had one bitchy female on my ass, and I don't need this one to be blubbering through her tears.

"Okay." She seemed to be contemplating something inside herself. She lifted a hand into her hair and pulled out that long thin blue ribbon that was always tied to the back of her head. "Here, Hiei." She held it out to me, the strand loose in her tiny fingers.

"What is this for?"

"It's a good luck charm, Hiei. I always have it with me. I want you to take it with you on your trip. Now remember, I'm only lending it to you, which means I want it back, alright?" She said sternly to me.

I merely shook my head, but put the long blue string in my pocket anyway. When I turned to leave, she hugged me from behind. I grabbed one of her hands in mine and lightly squeezed it, letting her know it was alright. When she let go, I walked out the door after giving her one glance back. I left her with a smile on her face as she waved good bye.

…..Two weeks later…..

If there was a task more grueling than walking endlessly with the little troublemaker and her twin, then it hasn't been discovered yet. It rained for exactly twelve days on our trip. Shelter was hard to find in the part of Makai that she led me through. Her constant nagging of her tired feet made me break down to the point that I would carry her and her sister on my back through a mountain pass, a jungle, and three deserts. Jade's GPS would break down constantly or loose signal, making us walk in circles for hours. And then when we did get to her "hideaway", we had to further into the deepest part of the cave. There were cliffs to walk against where fifty foot drops to the bottom would have you meet with of a pit filled with stalagmites, the ones that rise from the floor, and low ceiling caverns that we had to crawl through, winding around an obstacle course of stalactites, the ones that hang from the ceiling.

That was only half the trip. On our way back to the portal, we found ourselves blocked by the rebel army hat was crossing through. Their flags hung proudly with the symbol of a blue dragon spiraling in on itself printed on the fabric. There wasn't a way to get past without alerting them to our presence, not to mention Emmie would want to lead a herd of animals into a stampede across the plains. Though I'm sure I would be able to get through undetected, I can't do it with the two of them at my heels, or on my back. Thus we had to take the long way, going around them, which entailed climbing into a canyon and out of it on the other side. It was even harder with the painting being strapped to my back. The wooden frame and the linen wrappings it was in to keep it safe was weighing me down heavily. I nearly fell to my death twice because of it. Then there was the issue with bandits wanting to take whatever we had on us. They were especially intrigued by what was on my back. There was never any time to rest. The girls certainly weren't accustomed to walking for such a long time. They got so tired that Nina actually collapsed from exhaustion and Emmie caught a cold. So I not only had to carry that painting but also the two of them. It exhausted every single part of me, physically, mentally, I could barely keep my eyes open.

All of this just to get some stupid painting of a dead woman. I hate Emmie with the pit of my soul. If she doesn't push me off the deep end, I'll send her to hell myself.

Once we finally arrived back in the human world after our little adventure, I hibernated for the next two days, blocking out the world, wanting sleep. I didn't even look at the painting yet. I was fed up with hauling it around that I didn't even want to be in the same room as it was. I just wanted to sleep, and when it came, I let the world melt away, leaving me to rest within the confines and security of my room at Genkai's temple.

When I awoke, I was lying in bed with a clean pair of pants and fresh bandages. Yukina more than likely aided my weak body to have it recover faster. I pulled the bandages away to find all of my injuries nonexistent. I flexed my arms and hands to see if they were still in good working order. When I was satisfied, I leapt out of the window and onto a branch of a tree, soaking up the last rays of the sun as it slowly sank into the horizon. When I saw the full moon gazing down upon me, I thought of Sitsumi. I looked to the direction of her café and flitted to her. I knew she would be waiting for me.

…..Blue Moon Café…..

I arrived outside of the café. The city was quiet. The street lights were already aglow, giving a soft shine to whatever the light touched. I stood at the corner, the yellow light like a spotlight, drowning out the rest of the world in darkness. The scenery seemed very familiar to me as I stood there. This must have been the corner where I had collapsed all those months ago. I looked up to the one of the second floor window that led to her apartment. I wonder if she saw me from there as I was bleeding to death on the sidewalk.

I let myself in, not wanting to waste anymore time. I walked up the steps to her apartment, anticipating seeing her. I opened the door at the top of the stairs and walked inside. The entire apartment was engulfed in darkness. It seemed to be just a black void as everything was shrouded in black. I looked to where the only source of light came.

Sitsumi was sitting on the window sill, her skin glowing in the moonlight. She looked up to the sky, her features sad, contemplative. She was so withdrawn into herself that she didn't even notice me intruding. She continued to sit there, not looking my way.

Then I saw the tears that continued to roll down her soft cheek. I walked over to her to wipe the tear away. When I touched her, she finally looked to me. More tears streamed down her face as she took in a sharp breath.

"Sitsumi?" I called to her softly, not wanting to upset her further.

She drew herself into me, her arms wrapping around my neck, burying her face into the crook of my neck.

She started to choke back sobs. I wrapped my arms around her waist, trying to comfort her. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Hiei?" She whispered quietly in my ear. I felt her tears start to soak through my shirt.

"Yes?"

"Please." She pleaded. Her voice was so pathetic and weak. "Please make love to me."

"Wha…"

"Please? I want it. Please, Hiei, please." She trembled in her thin night garments. "I want you to make love to me. I really want you to please." When I tried to pry her off to look at her, she held on to me tighter, it startled me at how strong she actually was. "Please, don't push me away." She loosened her grip to look me in the eyes. The stream of tears flowed down her face in a cascade. Her eyes pleaded with me to take her. She looked so pitiful, like a kicked dog. Her tone was like a servant pleading with her master. I didn't want to take advantage of her. "Won't, Hiei, please, make love to me? It's my wish."

My eyes softened. I didn't know what to do. If I did, then it would be no better than forcing myself on her, but if I didn't, I don't know what she would do in such an instable state of mind.

I placed my lips on hers, taking it slowly, hoping she would come to her senses and tell me what was wrong. I made it gentle, yet deep. She gripped my shirt in her hands, pulling me closer to her. She nipped my lower lip, pulling a growl from my throat. My demonic instincts not wanting to allow her such a dominate move go unpunished.

I delved deeper into her mouth. Slipping my tongue past her lips. She mewled quietly as I massaged a thigh. She spread her legs apart and wrapped them around my waist. I cupped her ass in my hand, holding her to me. She broke free of my mouth and kissed her way down to my neck. She shyly nibbled on my skin with her dull human teeth, then licking at the spot. I sighed, enjoying myself until she bit into my shoulder, digging her teeth deeper into my skin.

I gave an angered, feral growl. She shouldn't have done that. I will not allow her to subject me to treatment that is done only by the dominate one in the relationship. I pushed her roughly into the window. An injured cry came from her. I stopped myself from going any further. I keep forgetting that she isn't a demon. She doesn't know the rules of dominancy. "Sorry." I apologized. "It… hurt." I lied.

She licked the spot where she bit me, perhaps trying to appease me. I lifted her up and walked over to the bed, gently placing her on the covers. I lowered myself on top and reclaimed her mouth with my own. I took my time with her, slowly taking off one article of clothing after another, contrasting with her desperate attempts to remove mine.

She seemed so starved for my touch that I was having trouble keeping up with her. My inner demon didn't like it one bit.

I placed her hands over her head and held them there with one of mine as I slid the other down her body to her thigh where I spread her legs open to allow myself better access. "Stay still." My tone was husky as I pressed my lips to her ear. I let go of her hands to take off the rest of my clothing. She obeyed, laying there quietly, watching my every movement.

I placed my mouth over the pulsing heat in her throat. The throb against my tongue was enough to have me plunge myself deep inside of her.

"Ah AH!" I heard her. Such a sweet little melody.

I rocked back and forth, sliding in and out of her. Her tight slick walls clutched around my member, creating heavy friction between the two of us. We had barely started and already her clear liquid was spilling out of her in waves. She was so tight that it was hard going back inside, but the juices made it much easier.

I bit into her shoulder lightly, not wanting to hurt her, being as gentle as I had always been. No matter how good it felt to loose myself within her, I couldn't relinquish all of my self control. She was just a human after all, she wouldn't be able to withstand any demon actions I could take. I'd break her if I did that.

I heard her stutter my name. I must have hit a sensitive spot. I continued on, not wanting to stop midway. It felt much too good to stop now.

In fact, I didn't stop till the sun started to peak over the horizon. I took her over and over again, savoring our temporary union.

When I felt that we couldn't go on, I slowly pulled myself out. She clenched her walls together, trying to keep me inside of her.

She mumbled something that I couldn't understand, her voice hoarse from screaming all night.

"What was that?"

She swallowed and tried her voice again. "Once more?"

I was taken aback. She shouldn't be able to keep her eyes open. Let alone go another round. "You're tired. You should get some sleep."

"Please?"

I smirked. Highly amused. I didn't know whether she was doing this for my benefit, or hers. "We've been at it all night. We can go again when you've rested."

"But…"

"That's enough." I pulled myself out the rest of the way. I knew I still had a few more rounds left in me, but she didn't. Her exhaustion was present in her eyes. She was drenched in sweat from the both of us. She wouldn't be able to stay awake. I positioned myself next to her, she curled up into my side, holding me as close to her as she possibly could. I wrapped ourselves in the blankets.

Once she was sound asleep. I got up to leave. I needed to get back to the temple. No doubt they're looking for me. I'll come back tomorrow. She'll understand.

TBC…

LS: There you go!!! Hope You liked it!! And thank you all for sticking with me. I really feel so loved!!


	12. Chapter 12

LS: What's up peoples?!!!

**Please vote.**

…..Sitsumi…..

So many memories.

So many lies.

So many people.

So many die.

Living does not mean… living.

To be amongst others does not mean to be with them.

And to be human does not mean to be humane.

I am not what everyone thought I was.

I am a liar.

I remember my mother. Her long black flowing hair. It reached all the way to the floor. She would always let me play with it, brush it, braid it. She would always give me gifts and toys. My favorite was the little blue amulet. She said it would protect me from harm. I knew mother loved me. I knew she had always cared. That's why she brought me here to Japan. She wanted me to be away from the bad things in our own home. She wanted me to be safe. I know mother loved me, because I loved her more than anything too.

I remember my father. His dark blue eye, and the ice-blue eye that had that scar running from his temple, through the eye, and down to his jaw. He never spoke to me much. He would barely look at me. He seemed to be disgusted at the sight of me. He hated me, I don't know why, but he did. He never smiled at me, or even spoke to me, let alone played with me. We lived together, but never lived with each other. I know he couldn't stand the very sight of me. Whenever I tried to make him notice me, he would always turn his back… and walk away.

I remember my brother. He never liked me either. He would push me out of his way. I was always a nuisance, always a burden. When I learned to walk, I would try to follow him wherever he went, it was such a wonderful game to me. It kept me occupied for hours within our cold and desolate house. I only wanted to see how long I could keep up, but as soon as he would round a corner, he was gone. After he hit me for following him to the stables, I never crossed his path again. I cried because it hurt so much. I never knew he was capable of doing such a thing to me, especially when I was so small. After that, whenever he would come, I would hide behind a table, or duck into a room. If he caught me, there was a glare that was so glazed with hatred and utter loathing that it made me want to cry.

Mother took me places all the time with her. We were always together. There were always good times with mother, weather they were sad or happy. Those are the memories I treasure most. Those are the memories that will always remain in my heart. Her smile and her warmth. She tucked me into bed at night, and sat with me for meals in the day. She read to me, and sang to me, and taught me so many things. Whenever I look back… I cry.

I remember starting school. She was so proud to see me go. She wanted me to learn and to explore and be able to see others not as a threat, but as companionship. Mother had always been my only friend.

I remember the good times, the sad times, the make you want to cry times. I remember the little times, and the big times, the great times and in between times. Every little memory was of my mother and myself. She and I could never have been one without the other. Nearly my entire childhood was built around her. She was my life.

I remember a day. The morning when my mother did not take me to school but saw it fit to let me go on my own, to try to teach me independence. I remember that day. She seemed sad that day. She was about to cry. I waved to her as I smiled. It made me sad to see her sad. I remember that. I remember going to school that day. I remember the teachers and the classmates. I remember the hallways and lunch that day. I remember wanting to get back home as quickly as possible so that she can see that I was alright.

There are the memories you want to cherish, and the memories you wish you could forget, but each one to me is one that I keep close to my heart, because they are all I have. I remember Mother giving me Milkshakes as a pet. I remember keeping her close to me at all times. She followed me to school and I followed her up trees. I remember it all.

Yet there was always that one memory, that memory that makes me cry. It was that day, when mother let me go on my own. I waved goodbye, I always waved goodbye. She seemed so sad to see me go. I remember coming home, a small little house on the corner. I was eating an apple. Milkshakes was behind me. I remember coming home. I opened the door.

Mother wasn't there.

I waited for her. I waited for so long. I never thought she would leave. I couldn't stop crying, the tears so hot against my cheeks. I held onto Milkshakes. She wouldn't stop licking my face. I was so sad. I was so afraid. Without Milkshakes, I would have been so alone.

I waited.

The days flew by as I did.

I waited.

Until, I couldn't survive on the wait anymore.

When I stopped crying, I went back to school. I didn't speak much after that.

I always felt lonely. Milkshakes was my only companion through the years. She was the only one who understood. Milkshakes is the one who kept me sane through it all. She may not have been Mother, but she was the closest thing I could ever get to having her with me.

I remember that night too.

Oh, Hiei, you were so injured. There was so much blood. I didn't know what to do, but when I looked at you, I knew I had to do something. You looked so peaceful, Hiei. I just had to save you.

I never knew you would become my friend, Hiei. I never thought you would ever come back after I healed you. I was fully expecting you to leave me. I never had the inkling of an idea that you would stay… with me. I wanted you to though. You don't know how badly. I felt a sort of bond, something that was sacred and couldn't be shared. I knew you were just like me, Hiei. I knew you felt just as alone as I felt. I could sense the sadness within you. It made my heart cry out. I wanted that pain for you to go away, because I knew exactly how it feels. I know that it hurts so much. It just hurts on the inside and you can't make the pain go away by yourself. I know how it feels, Hiei, and I wanted to make that pain go away. I wanted to do it myself, even if you did leave me in the end.

I was so happy to see you come back. I was so happy to not feel alone when you were there. You always made me feel wanted, Hiei. That's more than anyone has ever given me. I wanted to share those feeling with you too, Hiei. I hoped I had made you feel wanted and welcomed. I wanted to ask. I wanted to see if I could heal wounds in another that I can't heal in myself. It would make me happy to see you a little less hurt, a little less scared, a little less alone.

Then you gave me something so special, Hiei. That memory has always stayed the closest to my heart. The kiss you gave me, and in the rain. I couldn't have been more happy. You couldn't have made me any happier, Hiei. When you didn't stop just there, it made my heart melt to be with you. You held me so close, you kissed me so sweetly, and made love to me so tenderly. I never felt so many emotions for one person before. I get shivers whenever I think about the two of us together in bed. I can't concentrate on anything else when I think of it. You make me feel so alive, Hiei.

Hiei. I could say your name a thousand times and never tire. I couldn't stop when you were inside of me. I never felt anything so wonderful in my life. I know the power you hold within yourself. I know how much harder you could have made it, how painful it could have been, but as the night went on, every touch you made on my skin was so soft and gentle. It left my skin searing it felt so good. You took such great care with me, Hiei. I want to cry because I felt so cared for.

I love you more than anything, Hiei. You've given me so much to look forward to everyday. You just don't know how much my heart beats for you. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes, and sometimes, I just can't stand it. Your touch leaves my skin tingling all over, I just can't help myself when you're around. I feel so alive with you, Hiei. Nothing is more sacred to me than you.

I could never have asked for anything more perfect.

So I want to say I'm sorry, Hiei.

I'm sorry for everything I'm about to do.

I never wanted our time together to end.

You made me feel.

_You made me feel_.

I never received such a beautiful gift before.

So as I look on to the headlights of the car flying towards me.

I know what I have to do now.

I have to die.

TBC…

LS: **IT'S NOT OVER!!!!! **You gotta keep reading. It get's better I promise!!!


	13. Chapter 13

LS: Thank you thank you!! I feel so loved. Not much to say so I'll just go on with the story!!! Now here's a Christmas present just for you guys!! It short but this chapter needed to be put out if I wanted to keep going. I SHAN'T GIVE UP!!!

**PLEASE VOTE!! Look to my profile page. ^-^**

**Something Missing**

…..Hiei…..

It's been a week since I've last seen her. The uprisings had gotten out of control in the north. They continued to slaughter one demon village after another, moving towards the larger cities. Mukuro sent me out along with a squad of A-ranked demons to assess the damage the rebel army had done. Apparently "Arare's Children", as they've proclaimed themselves, have been searching for supplies as they continue to terrorize the demon plains with their talk of the destruction of the three worlds. They've been cut off from their island home a month ago, making it impossible for them to re-supply from their own territory. All of this was thanks to their king who refuses to help them any longer. Koenma told us that he regrets the loss of life and lands to his people. He hadn't done anything before because he did not know such a thing was happening, or so he says.

My entire body ached from exhaustion and the need to get back to the human world to see the girl. My nerves usually calmed while I was with her. Everything seemed right and in place, and, to be honest, I wanted a really good fuck to get my mind off of this whole situation. I can't stand Mukuro's bitching for much longer. If she doesn't keel over soon, I just might run a blade through her heart myself, but that could just be my temper talking.

However, now that I was back once again, I can finally take my mind off of work and just settle down for a while. I haven't had any sleep since I got that painting back, and I haven't even looked at the damn thing yet. They hauled me off to the Demon World before I could get a chance.

I was once again in front of the girl's tea shop. The smell of baked goods in the air as I walked through the door. Today I knew she'd be free, since she usually takes Sundays off.

When I got to the door, I noticed something very odd. The shop was closed. The only other time I've ever seen that happen was when it was the Christmas holiday. Everything was closed then. When I tried to open the door it was locked. I merely pulled out a pin and easily picked it, letting myself in. I looked around to see that everything was still in place, nothing else had changed. I walked to the back and through the double doors that lead to the kitchen. Passed the kitchen came a stairway that led to her upstairs apartment. I walked up those stairs and knocked on the door. Who opened it was not who I was expecting.

"Hiei-san?" It was Mei. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"The door was unlocked." I lied, my blank stare giving nothing away.

"Oh. I could have sworn I locked that door. Why don't you come inside." She smiled warmly and stepped aside to let me in. She closed the door behind her.

Everything had changed here. All of Sitsumi's old furniture was gone. The chairs, the television, the small cot, even the wall where the bookshelf was located, there were two doors that seemed to lead into two separate bedrooms in its place. I wonder if the girl knew they were there, hidden behind the bookshelf. The only thing I could recognize was the piano sitting in between the tall windows. "If I had known you were coming I would've made us some tea." She said, gaining back my attention.

"I see you redecorated." I replied. Sitsumi must have recruited her to do some remodeling project on her home. She once made a comment about it.

"Yes. Do you like it?" Mei sat at a small round table with four chairs in the middle of the room. She motioned for me to sit down. I followed her lead.

"It's nice." I replied, merely making conversation until the girl arrived.

I heard a baby crying in another room. "Oh, dear. Give me a moment." She rushed over to one of the doors where the bookcase once stood. When she opened the door the crying became louder. After a minute or two, she came back, carrying a small bundle in her arms. The crying had stopped.

I hadn't realized Mei wasn't pregnant anymore. She must have just recently given birth.

"There, there little one. It's alright." She cooed. It reminded me of Yukina when her children were born, and how she would be constantly coddling them like a mother hen. "Hiei. I'd like you to meet Haru." She revealed the bundle in her arms to me. She gave birth to a son. He looked nothing like his mother. "He was born just last week. He looks just like his father. It's about time for his bottle."

Figured as much.

"That reminds me. Milkshakes." She looked over to a wooden chair with a plush cushion. There sat the bane of my existence. SMei walked over to the cat and set a bowl of food in front of the chair. The cat looked at it for a moment then sighed disdainfully, turned away, and went back to sleep. That's a new side to the cat that I've never seen. Normally it jumps at the chance to eat. Mei sighed as well. "Poor thing. She's been acting like that since the accident. I assume you're here to pick her up, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What accident?"

Mei looked confused. "The accident, Hiei-san. You must have heard about it. It happened just last week, it was all over the news. Cars were piled up everywhere. How can you not know? Surely you must have been contacted. Someone must have told you about it."

When I didn't answer she looked down, refusing to meet my gaze. "Hiei-san, I don't know how to tell you this but…" She trailed off.

Panic pooled in the pit of my stomach. "What happened to Sitsumi?"

"She was out in the middle of the night. It was a street race and… they didn't see her, she couldn't get out of the way fast enough, so she was hit and…" Her voice was caught in her throat. She didn't want to continue. I could smell the brimming tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "She had instructions made. It says that if anything happens to her, you are supposed to take care of the cat." She gave a small chuckle. "Sitsumi always talked about how well you and Milkshakes got along. I just thought you would've heard about it by now. It's been a week and they've already gone through the procedure while she was at the hospital and everything and…" She trailed off, lost in thought.

"What are you saying? Where the hell is she?" I abruptly stood up.

"Hiei-san. Sitsumi died."

……….

It was raining again. The heavy storms had halted any attempts at defeating the rebel army. Weeks had passed and the rivers were overflowing. Towns were not only being destroyed by them but also by the constant downpour and flooding of the lowlands. There was nothing that we could do until the storms passed by.

I sat in my room of Mukuro's stronghold on the cushioned window seat, watching the rain as it fell. My cheek burned with the coldness of the glass, my legs hurt from sitting on them for so long. I had a hole punched through my stomach about a week ago when I encountered the rebel leader. Never thought we would actually meet face to face. I've never fought an oponent like him before. His fluid movements in his fighting style and the use of his control over water nearly made him my equal, but he was able to get one lucky shot in, nearly killing me. It was a searing pain that left the rest of my body numb, every bit of movement would set it off. Though I hadn't a care. The pain didn't matter.

Slaughtering one rebel after another became pointless after a while. The screams of the dying no longer satiating my undying bloodlust. It was just work. I took no more enjoyment in killing my opponent. I took no more pride in what I did as a warrior.

I unconsciously stroked the cat behind its ears as she sat in my lap, trying to calm myself. Trying to rid myself of the constant feeling of being left alone. She softly purred, the sound giving me little comfort. She continuously stayed within my company, whether it was in Makai or Ningenkai, she is always at my heels, following me wherever I went. I didn't mind. In fact, her company is perhaps the only thing keeping me sane.

I knew she would die eventually. She is a human after all, and because of that, it was inevitable. There was no other way for her to go. A fragile being like her was meant to perish and ascend to the Spirit realm. At least she won't have to suffer the inhumanities of the world any longer. I knew that she would die, I knew that eventually I would have either had to leave her before she figured out that I didn't age, or kill her myself, and yet, I still can't stop thinking about her. I admit it.

I miss her.

Her smile, her eyes, her skin, her voice. I wanted it back. I wanted her back. I don't know why I feel the way I do, lifeless, soulless, uncaring. I put so much importance on what I felt for that insignificant little girl. Those feelings continued to build up inside of me to the point where I just don't feel like trying anymore. Does everything good have to come crashing down in front of me? When I strive for a bit of joy, am I doomed to have it stripped away from me? Am I really that undeserving? Is my fate to roam the desecrated lands of this bottomless pit alone? Unwanted? Unhappy? Will my only escape from this torment be death? Or will I have the same torture even in death as hell swallows me for the rest of eternity? Why am I such a waste of life?

"Meow?" The cat looked up at me, her stone grey eyes still, half lidded, nearly lifeless.

"Hm?" I kept its gaze, trying to figure out what she could possibly want.

It sighed, turning herself away from me, and going back to sleep. I stared at her for a time, still wondering what she could have possibly wanted.

The two of us had been like this ever since my visit with Mei. Once I took her back to the demon world with me, there wasn't a way to separate the two of us from each other. If she hadn't had been with me when I faced off with the rebel leader I probably wouldn't be alive right now. Though I hate her more than anything, she is my sole companion. I've given up hope for myself and everyone around me. If I die, I wouldn't care. I won't fight it. It'll just make the pain hurt a little less.

I am completely pathetic.

Nothing matters to me anymore. After I found about her death, everything seems… unimportant. I've never felt such tortured anguish. This feeling has lodged a lump inside of my throat. Unmoving, unwavering. It stays there day after day, and it starts to hurt when my thoughts turn to her, which is often.

I didn't want to move, to think, to see, to feel. I stayed in my room, laying in my bed, doing absolutely nothing. I can't remember when I've last eaten, last slept, last breathed without that annoying lump giving me excruciatingly annoying pain. A hard spot formed in my chest. I tried feeling for it, but there was nothing. I wondered if I had some sort of illness when I went to the medic to have him check it out. He said there was nothing wrong with me. There was nothing there when he looked at the x-ray. I am in top physical form. He tried recommending me to a shrink. I recommended him to shut the hell up.

I still felt that hard spot, but it seemed to have grown in size each day that passes. Thinking of the girl kept it from growing, but made the lump in my throat hurt more. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I've never felt so helpless in my life. I haven't felt so alone.

I tried to gaze at my mother's gem from time to time, but it reminded me of her eyes. I tried to sit in the hot spring to sooth myself, but reminded me of the many things we would do together in her shower. I would stare at the sunset, stand in the rain, watch people as they pass me by, nothing seemed to take away what I felt inside.

And I hated it. I hated myself. I hated her.

The only thing I can live for now is to just be an obedient lackey of the Spirit world, and perhaps I'll be able to see her in the after life, perhaps I can see her just once more before I'm sentenced to oblivion.

I scratched behind the cat's ears once more, trying to find comfort in the softness of her fur. Again, there was little to be gained. My other hand resided in my pocket, fingering the small blue ribbon she gave to me almost a month ago. It seems to be my only way of knowing that everything I did with her really had happened, that it wasn't some sort of dream that in a state of madness I had created within the folds of my mind. The tiny piece of cloth and the cat where my last connections to her, and maybe that's why I let the cat follow me around, not because she wanted me to take care of it, it could've taken care of itself well enough in its own. No. The only reason why I kept the cat was for more selfish reasons. I kept it to try and get rid of the feelings still brewing within my chest, and when I think about it, I might have just saved myself from the grip of insanity.

My eyes felt heavy, and even though I did not feel tired; in fact, I did not feel anything at all; I slowly started to loose consciousness. Drifting off, perhaps to finally rest for what was three weeks.

My phone rang preventing me sleep. I picked it up uncaring. "What?" My voice was tired.

"_Hiei?" _It was Kurama. _"We need you to come to the Spirit world immediately."_

I sighed. "Why?"

"_We've found her. We've finally found her."_

"Found who?"

"_The Aoitsuki."_

I almost dropped the phone.

TBC…

LS: Sorry It took so long and that this chapter is so short. I needed it out of the way before I could get to the really juicy parts!!! Trust me, you'll love me for it!!

**Please vote!! If you haven't already!!! ^0^**


	14. Chapter 14

LS: IT'S HERE!!! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! 0

Which I apologize for taking SOOOOOO long!! When I first finished this chapter, I was completely dissatisfied with it. It seemed rushed, uncultured, and totally not worth anyone's time reading. I was infuriated with how I wrote it, and I felt as if it wasn't up to par with my usual writings. So I took a break, then went back and rewrote it three times just to make sure that it would fit everything I wanted to fit within it. I hope I haven't angered anyone by taking so long. : (

Thank you all for reviewing my story thus far!! I feel so loved and appreciated by all of you!!! And I would like to say _**123 REVIEWS!!!!! **_I am so UBERLY excited. I'd like to give a shout-out to my last reviewers from chapter 13 who have made this possible.

**iLuvOrangeSoda- **I try **VERY **hard to keep people in character. I really hate it when people try to change a perfectly good personality. You just gotta WORK with it!

**The Psychotic Cherry Blossom- **Your kind words absolutely made my day. In fact, it gave me enough courage to rewrite this chapter again to make it even better! Thank you so much!!

**Kai- **I'll be sure to continue on! I won't stop until this story is finished!!

**AnimeOtakuBara- **Thank you so much for your review!!

**PiNKBuN17- **Thank you SO much for reviewing so many of my chapters! You really didn't have to so late in the story! You don't know how grateful I am!

**Shadow Goddess Miko- **You'll find out later why she did it. PROMISE!!

**Neji4me- **Thank you for your review!! And yes, Brago and Hiei DO look SO much alike!

**CrazykittenAtemyHOMEWORK- **I full heartely agree!! They DO deserve each other!! :T0T:

**HyperactiveDepression- **I'm so glad you gave my story a chance. And I'll admit that the first two chapters were very slow, but they were necessary to set up everything up to this point. Thank you for your review!!

**Keysintertwinedinabondofflame- **Please don't worry about how late the review is! Just think how late this chpater is. :p Thank you so much for reviewing!!

**Dragonwingedangel- **Yes, Milkshakes is a wonderful companion.

**Heve-chan- **Making me smile through your kind words.

**Lady Adamaris- **Letting me feel the love!!

**Kaori Minamino-** Staying with me for this long XD Reviewing almost every single piece of work I've written. Thank you so much!!

**Kungfupandabear- **Another chapter to make up for killing off my main character. ^-^

**Hana- **For staying with me through the whole process of writing, you inspire me to keep on going!! I really miss you my friend!!

**KL- **For helping me with Naoko. I never thought I'd get her personality down to a T!! ^0^

And last but not least,

**Rebelgoddess19- **My 100nth reviewer!!!! I dedicate this chapter especially to you!!! o

Thank you all so much!! Now the moment you've all been waiting for!!!

**The Aoitsuki**

…..Kurama…..

I was standing in the control room with Dr. Hazard waiting for Hiei to arrive. I spoke with the doctor, asking him various questions about the girl they had in the glass dome that the control room overlooked. He had recently pumped the dome full of gas to keep her moderately conscious so as to keep her calm and unprovoked. Every precaution was taken in order to ensure that she remains a captive. She has already done so much damage to the laboratory and the scientists and guards. Many had to be hospitalized because of her hostile behavior. She was just so incredibly powerful that we hadn't a way to keep her under control without the use of the dome.

Before her detainment here in the dome, she was just a regular prisoner like every other demon that had been captured by the SDF. They had put her in the prison below, keeping her under lock and key. We were sure that there was no way for her to get out. Her power levels were so low, no one was at all worried. We thought wrong. She had gotten to the doors of King Yama's throne room before we were able to detain her once again. None of the guards on any floor were able to stand against the Aoitsuki. Even the SDF were no match for her, as one after the other tried in vain to stop her, she batted them away like flies. There was no stopping her until she suddenly collapsed and fell into a coma. That was the only reason why we were able to detain her once again. This time, special preparations were made in order to keep her captive.

Dr. Hazard had asked King Yama if he could run tests on her and learn anything he can from the last Aoitsuki. When Yama agreed, the good doctor had created the dome in order to do so. She had broken from her bonds multiple times and had gotten out of the dome once, but thanks to Dr. Hazard's many lines of defense against her, she was immediately restrained and put back into the dome without much problems. Continuously he would make the dome better suited to her detainment. Many upgreades were made to the dome before she finally quit trying to get out all together.

It's almost sad to think that such a creature of legend could be broken so easily. Dr. Hazard's methods, however, are questionable, but I'm not about to interrogate the doctor on his practices. For all I know, he could have been ordered to use any force applicable and necessary. She is, after all, very difficult to control. Even so, he had been able to study the girl closely, without interruption. The only reason why I was brought here was for precautionary measures and to be his body guard if anything were to go wrong. From what I've learned, Dr. Hazard is a trusted and high official in the Spirit realm. King Yama wanted to make sure one of his greatest assets was protected.

From what the good doctor has learned thus far, the Aoitsuki is related to quite a number of different species of demons. Her DNA is almost a match to that of a siren's. We know she is able to control the elements of water and air, she can plummet the temperature to near sub zero, and summon ice at her whim. She created a tsunami that rampaged through palace, flooding four floors, the fourth, she then commenced to freeze into a solid block of ice, and tore whirlwinds through the corridors, taking with it all the personnel working at that time.. Her level of expertise is astounding.

Her power levels were completely off the charts when they first analyzed her. Her energy signature would come in like the tide. It was at first low, a mere 100, one reason why they put her in the underground prison, thinking that she would cause no damage; however, it tended to increase and decrease as time went on, not having a distinct signature. Then, before putting the receiver away, her last entry had its circuits overloaded. The reading was over three hundred thousand.

That's a higher signature than Hiei and Yusuke combined.

It amazed me. I haven't met the girl face to face yet, but everything that I've read in the report and learned by ear was truly phenomenal. I wasn't allowed in the dome, however. It was a precautionary measure. There's no telling what other powers she posses. She may be able to manipulate those around her, she may have the very air attack our lungs, there is even the possibility of draining the water from our bodies through our pours. We can only go on stories and legends and what she's shown us thus far. Aoitsukis where never properly studied, and from what I understand from Dr. Hazard, he's determined to change that.

The intercom buzzed on, Koenma's voice could be heard. "_Kurama. Hiei's here. I need you to take him to the dome._"

I pushed the red button. "I'm on my way, sir." I put down the clipboard that I had in my hand and made my way to the door.

"Kurama." The raspy voice of Dr. Hazard stopped me. "I would like to come along and see this Hiei of yours. It's not every day that you get to see the product of ice and fire. Keh Keh Keh." He chuckled.

I hesitated for a moment in my answer. "I see no harm in that. Though I would refrain from asking Hiei any questions. It would upset him." To the point of severing a few limbs. I kept that part to myself.

"Of course." He gave his peculiar smile, one that was not at all friendly. The doctor had a way of making those within his presence feel very uneasy. Whenever I caught him staring at me, his eyes didn't see another conscious living being, what he saw was another test subject to work on, something to dissect, something to take apart and put back together again. It was quite… unnerving. My hairs stood on end whenever I was around him. It wasn't that I was frightened of the wrinkly little burnt orange man with brown warts on his face, thinning, limp white hair, and a limp on his left leg, there was just something about him that was just not right, just not sane.

…..Hiei…..

Kurama led me through the halls talking about the Aoitsuki. Apparently King Yama's buffoons had found her on the border of Gendar about a month ago. Interesting how the SDF tell us these things last minute. She was out cold when they picked her up. After she had woken up in the infirmary of the Spirit World, they moved her to a special cell that will prevent her from using her powers in any way. What I want to know is why they need _me _to interrogate her.

"Well, Lord Hiei, all of the interrogators were unable to crack her. Every single tactic was of little use. Electrocution, burning, breaking her bones, not even Chinese water torture helped." He grinned at the thought. "When Koenma was informed of her capture he had forbidden the use of torture fearing the consequences of what the legends say surrounds the girl, so their hands were tied. They were only able to get one word out of the pathetic thing after all that annoying screaming she'd done. Nearly deafened the lot of us." Croaked that crusty old man in the laboratory jacket. His beady black eyes staring at me since my arrival. I didn't like the way he looked at me, like some lab rat for his maze.

"And what word was that?" I asked annoyed by his constant staring.

He gave an amused smile, looking at me as you would a questioning child. It irritated me. We stopped at the entrance to a large glass dome that was filled with a white haze-like mist. He punched in the code on a receiver and the haze started to evaporate, leaving only small traces within before opening the door. He looked to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It was 'Hiei'." He shoved me inside and closed the glass door behind me, the bolts locking into place, leaving me to interrogate the Aoitsuki. I looked to my left seeing a control panel operated by what I'm considering one of Dr. Hazard's lackeys, and a teenager no less.

He was wearing a sort of mask covering his nose and mouth, obviously for the air. He looked at me frightened, bowing in a show of submission more than respect. I could smell the scent of his sweat dripping from his fore-head as my eyes noticed the nervous shaking.

"_Hiei, can you hear me?" _Kurama asked me on the transmitter I wore in my ear.

"Yes, I can hear you just fine." I said. "Where is she?"

"_She'll be in the middle of the dome. You'll have to walk a little ways to reach her. And be mindful of the her restraints. They tap into and zap away any form of demon energy that touches it. It was the only way to make sure she was completely detained."_

"Right." I sighed as I started walking. The air was dense, the white fog almost suffocating me. It swirled around me in the nonexistent wind. After walking a little ways, I could finally see a figure in the distance, she was kneeling on the concrete floor, hunched over, her hair in disarray, dripping down, covering her face from my view. I couldn't quite see her just yet, even with the mist of the haze taken out, it was still difficult to see anything.

When I was closer I could see that she was shackled by her wrists, the chains leading up towards opposite sides of the dome. Where they led exactly I didn't know, I couldn't see it through the fog. I looked down at the pathetic site she was. Her only clothing were paper talismans covering her from her neck to her knees and elbows that prevented her from moving. I looked to her feet and saw that her ankles were also in chains bolted to the floor. Her cream white skin was tainted with crusted blood spatter, cuts running down her arms and legs. When I looked to the floor, there were symbols etched onto the surface, a protection circle of sorts, but instead of keeping things out, it kept her in. I looked to the back of her head and saw brown leather straps pulled tight into her scalp. They fitted her with a muzzle. What she did to make them have so many precautions was beyond me.

"_Can you see her, Hiei?" _Kurama asked me from the other line. I was about to reply when I caught movement from the sullen figure in front of me.

She peered at me through her long ink black bangs, her light grey eyes caught a light, becoming bluer, once she looked at me. She raised her head higher, allowing me to look at her fully.

My breath was caught in my throat.

….. Meanwhile in Koenma's office…..

"_Yes, I understand the situation, Young Lord, but I must implore you to find another way of ridding your problem. I hope you realize that once you kill her, that species will forever be extinct. Though I am glad you've imprisoned my sister, I would hate to see the consequences of another death of a Blue Moon Maiden. She is worth more than your crown, Young Lord. I hope you realize that." _

Koenma sat at his desk, speaking with none other than the ruler of the Northern Islands himself, King Onnisawa Yuriyuki, through the screen of his giant television. The situation was out of his hands. He's already gone against his father's wishes before, but compared to this, that was a minor offense. Helping Yusuke was like pick pocketing. If he defied this one as well, it would be like assassinating the President and his first twenty successors. There was no way for Koenma to overrule his father's decree. Not this time.

"I know, Lord Onnisawa, but my hands are tied. I won't be able to do anything. I know she's your sister and in lineage with the Northern Island's last royal family, but her offense is serious. It could upset the balance of the three worlds as we know it. Arare is the most powerful entity to have ever been born. My father had the damned hardest time trying to control her. If she's unleashed from the girl, there's no telling _what _she'll do!! I'm very sorry, Lord Onnisawa. I can't overturn the conviction."

The man on the other line went silent for a few moments. _"When?" _He finally asked.

"Three days."

…..Hiei…..

"_Hiei? Hiei, can you hear me?!! What's going on? Why aren't you responding?!! Hiei!!!" _

Whatever Kurama had just said, I didn't hear it. My eyes were wide, my mouth agape. I couldn't breath, all the air was punched out of my lungs. I could only stand there and stare at her.

"Hiei?" She whispered. The dark circles under her eyes almost black. She had never looked so fragile, so pathetic, so weak.

I swallowed hard, my throat became suddenly dry as I said just one word. "Sitsumi."

I couldn't see her face because of the muzzle, but I could tell she smiled, because it bled into her eyes making them a darker blue.

She screamed.

I could see the bolts of electricity course through the chains that held her captive, shocking her, blistering her. I could smell her burning skin, the electricity running through her hair, scorching it to the ends. I couldn't bare to listen to the screams any longer.

"**Kurama shut it off!! Shut it off NOW!!!" **I screamed into the receiver.

"_Hiei what are you talking about? Shut off what?"_

"Shut off the electricity _you idiot!!!_"

Her screaming stopped. The power had been turned off like I asked.

"_Hiei, what's going on? What happened?"_ I took the receiver out of my ear, dropping it to the floor, then smashed it with my foot as I took a step forward. I didn't want him to interfere.

I looked back to her, kneeling in front of her, careful not to touch the chains that bound her. She looked up to me again, the dark blue luster gone, replaced by a dull grey hue. I gently brushed back her hair, wanting to see her face. The muzzle that was in place covered it from the bottom of her chin to the bridge of her nose. I could smell her blood everywhere, tainted with the drugs they pumped her full of. The scent was unrecognizable.

"You're alive?" I whispered to no one.

"Hiei." I heard her voice lilted into my ears. "I'm sorry, Hiei. I'm so sorry."

"No, it's alright. I'll get you out of here. I won't let them hurt you anymore. There's no reason for you to be here." I told her whatever I could to try and make her smile. I wanted to see her happy again.

"No, Hiei." She took in a deep shuddering breath. "You shouldn't be here."

I was taken aback. Not supposed to be here? "What the hell does that mean?"

"Hiei should leave. Hiei has to go back to them. Hiei can't be with me anymore." Her voice cracked at the last part. I could smell the salt from her fresh tears that poured down her blood stained cheeks. I cupped her face, shushing her, trying to silence her. Whatever they did to her has made her emotionally unstable. I felt my anger flare for a moment before my attention was returned to her. "Hiei, has to know. Hiei should know everything. I have to tell Hiei everything." She seemed to be carrying on a conversation with herself. "Hiei needs to know, Hiei needs to know, Hiei needs to know…" She kept chanting to herself.

"Sitsumi, look at me." I tilted her head to make her look at me. "What do I have to know?"

"Why does Hiei think I'm here?" She asked. Her demeanor changed. Her eyes became wide and wild, her breathing was harsh and rasped.

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't find an answer. Why was she here? I shook my head no, waiting for her to respond.

She leaned forward putting her muzzled mouth against my ear and whispered softly. "Everything you know, Hiei, is a complete and utter lie."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am the one to destroy the order of the Spirit World. I am the child of Ametari. I am the vessel that holds the Spell of Water. I am the bearer of the new order to come. I am the Aoitsuki you have been searching for, and I am ordered to annihilate anyone who gets in my way." She spoke robotically, without feeling, without remorse, without concern… without her angelic lilt in her tone that made her seem so innocent.

What have they done to her?

"What are you talking about?" That flame of anger had risen up within me. It churned and lapped at my insides, scorching me with my own heat, the pain inside of my chest growing with each breath that fueled the fire, taking me to a new level of pure, unadulterated, fury. "What do you mean?"

"I am not who you think I am, Hiei. I am not at all what you think."

I stood, my rage being fueled by her words. It utterly sickened me to listen, to find more evidence of whatever sick and twisted games that these scientists have done. I looked towards the exit then stalked over to the teenager that stood by the entrance. He flinched at my heated glare and cried out as my grip latched onto the collar of his coat and dragged him to her. I threw him to the ground. "What happened to her?" He was shaking in fear. Good. It'll make it that much easier to beat the information out of him. When he didn't answer, I grabbed the collar of his coat again making him look me in the eye. "What did you do to her?"

"N-n-n-n-n-n NOTHING! I didn't do anything. I'm just here to take care of her. I swear." I threw him down in front of her so he could take a good look. I grabbed him by his thick black hair, pulling his head back at almost a break-neck angle. He convulsed in spasms trying to rid of my fist in his hair, and what seemed to be trying to get away from her. "Please, please, I don't want to be near her. Please let me go." He started to cry.

"Tell me what I want to know!!!"

"I didn't do anything. Whatever happened to her was done by Dr. Hazard and the other scientists. I'm only here as the caretaker. I feed her and bathe her and all that jazz. It's my job, it's what I was hired to do. I don't know anything about what they've done to her. Please, please let me go." He squealed. I let go of his hair, dropping him to the ground. Once he was free he scooted as far away from her as possible. "Please don't kill me, please." He had his head on the floor, bowing, not to me, but to her.

I glanced to her out of the corner of my eye. She was looking at him in a droll manner, her eyes still that dull grey.

"Hiei. What do you think of me now?" She asked.

"What?"

"I didn't mean to lead you so far into everything. I didn't want you to get hurt, Hiei. You're not supposed to be here. Please, Hiei. Please."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't find an answer to anything she was saying. I just couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me.

"Please, don't hate me. I don't want to kill you, Hiei. I really don't. I don't want to kill anyone! Please, Hiei. Don't hate me. I know everything, Hiei. It makes me want to die. She's everywhere, Hiei. I can't fight it. Please don't hate me. Please." Her voice cracked as if she was about to cry.

I took a step forward to see if I could console her. Her tears streamed down her face, healing the cuts that were visible behind the muzzle. She hung her head low, the tears now dripping towards the floor, hitting her bruised and battered legs. Each droplet that fell, another wound seemed to instantly heal. I didn't know what to make of it.

"_Aoitsuki tears have the ability to heal any wound and if combined with other herbs correctly, can also cure any sickness. However, there are some plants that can make the tears become a deadly poison. Or at least that's what I've been able to research so far. Not sure if it's true, but best to cover all the bases just in case." _I remember the book worm tell me once. It seems that it is true. An Aoitsuki's tears can heal, but… why Sitsumi? Why did it have to be her? Why did she have to be the Aoitsuki? Will I be forced to kill her? What will they do to her?

I took another step forward, and halted when I heard the shrill cry of the teenager a few away. "NO! Don't listen to her! Please, you've gotta understand! She's killed most of our staff already! She lures them in then slits their organs open from the inside. I'm telling ya!! She's… AH!!!" He cowered. His forehead was to the ground, hands over his head, his entire body shaking in tremendous fear of not me… but… her.

I looked to the girl, her attention on the boy. Her eyes were like ice crystals, cold and uncaring. Her mouth turned up into a smile at his cowering, seeming to enjoy his torment. I was taken aback by her sudden approval of the pain of others. The Sitsumi I've known had always tried her best to never hurt even a roach in her small café. This new side of her was entirely different, as if this personality was another Sitsumi all together, a Sitsumi I had never known until now. It was… frightening.

"Please… please don't kill me." I heard the boy crying, begging her for his life. Whatever she did, it scared him to death.

I opened my mouth to ask her something when I heard the door to the vault open. Footsteps approached us with haste, running like mad.

"Hiei!" I heard the fox's voice. He sounded worried and winded. I looked to him. He was standing with six guards, three members of the SDF, and the head scientist. The guards were hesitant to come any closer, the SDF surrounded the girl, their palms open with orbs of light emanating from them, ready to attack at any moment. Kurama ran to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hiei, are you alright? When we lost communication with you, I had thought the worst had happened." I looked at him confused, knowing that I wasn't in any danger.

"She seduced him!!" I heard the teenager call out. "She's got him under her spell! You have to kill him now before he destroys us! PLEASE! He's gonna kill us all!! You've gotta listen to me!!" He started to sobbing. Two guards went to his side and tried to lift him from the ground. He was a dead weight in their arms.

"Hiei, what happened?" My attention was returned to him. "What did she do?"

"Nothing." I replied.

"Are you sure, Hiei? Aoitsuki's are related to sirens. She might have gotten into your mind to try and get you to release her. Are you sure she hasn't tried anything?"

I blinked slowly at him, my temper starting to rise. "No." I glowered

I heard her screech again as if her very life was draining from her. That same anguish cry that she gave when the chains electrocuted her. The same resonance of pain that ripped through my ears, wrenched at my heart, and tore apart my soul. I whipped my head around to find the SDF firing their spirit energy at her at the same time, burning her already singed flesh, cutting her limbs with invisible razors, making her cry out harder than before. My mind went completely blank.

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I found my hands were crushing the throat of one of her assailants. My eyes were glowing the darkest red as my mind told me to kill what I had in my hands, kill whoever dared try to harm her.

"**HIEI, STOP!!" **Came Kurama's cry, but I did not listen, I felt the life draining from the man on the floor, I couldn't stop, not until I felt his hot red blood sticking to my fingers, not until his very last breath leaves his body, not until I avenge what's mine.

…… Kurama…..

"**HIEI, STOP!!" **I cried out. All of a sudden he had attacked all of the SDF in one swift movement. Two he knocked unconscious, blood pooling to the ground from open wounds to their stomachs, the last one in his grasp, trying to fight him off in order to breath.

I lunged towards him, tackling Hiei to the ground, grabbing an arm and twisting it behind his back as I took a fist full of his hair in my hand, forcing his face into the ground. "Hiei!! You have got to calm down!! She's trying to control you!! You have to fight it!! Hiei! DAMN IT! Listen to me!" He continued to struggle underneath me, his eyes blood red, his pupils dilated to small round dot. I wasn't sure of what to do.

Before planting one of my creations, I kept Hiei's secured arm underneath my knee, the weight of my body keeping it in place. I grew a small plant, the flowering blue bulbs the size of peas. I crushed them in my hand, the pollen coating a deep purple. I clamped my hand against Hiei's nose and mouth, forcing him to breath it in. after another few moments of struggling, Hiei finally calmed down to the point of sleep.

I removed myself from him, wiping the pollen off and onto my pants leg, careful to not expose it to the air. I looked to the SDF member that Hiei nearly killed. I couldn't understand what might have gotten into him. The only explanation is that she used her powers to influence him to rescue her. It worries me. Hiei is a powerful psychic due to his Jagan eye. I had no doubt in my mind that he'd be able to detect any sort of intrusion that she may have had planned. I was sure that Hiei wouldn't have been affected by her mind games. The time she had gotten outside of the dome was when she controlled the minds of two of our scientists. They set her free and unlocked the door. Dr. Hazard electrocuted her to detain her.

She must be even more powerful than we had anticipated. Hiei's Jagan is never to be taken lightly. And to our unfortunate discovery, neither is she.

As the guards carried Hiei off, I looked to the girl chained and shackled. Her piercing blue stare ripping at my insides. Her grin unseen, but her eyes in an evil manner. Before I turned to leave, she laughed hysterically at the mess she had made, knowing she had used Hiei like a puppet in her twisted game of tag.

TBC…

LS: Holy mother of ALL that is good!! I can't believe I finally finished this darn thing!! Tell Me how'd you liked it!!

Now I know what most of you are thinking, and I told you that it'd get WAY better! ^-^ You didn't think I'd actually kill of my main character did you? I hope this makes up for the lack of updates, but I thought it was for the better, seeing as the first draft of this SUCKED! So please let me know if this lived up to any of your expectations. I'll be sure to write more.

Again, I will not give up on this story. It WILL get finished. I love it to much to stop. I admit it might take a little while, but I assure you that the story will continue until the last word has been written.

Thank you ALL for being so patient. I love you! See you next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

…..Milkshakes…..

He left.

To go see her.

I know he did.

I know everything.

Everything that he doesn't.

Everything he's about to figure out.

He won't like what he will see.

About her, and about me.

She's there.

All alone and unwanted.

Just like before, just more broken.

But in the spirit realm.

With the damned and the dead.

What will he think of her once he sees her again?

What will he do?

What will she do?

And what will _She _do?

If he leaves her there to die, there will be no going back for her.

But if he stays with her, his soul will be lost to _Her_.

What will he do?

What can he do?

I had yet to leave him alone.

Letting him go was terribly hard.

His fragile psyche needed to be guarded until now.

He needed it.

And she needed it.

If I wasn't there that day of the attack…

He would've died.

And she would've died.

Broken hearts are hard to mend.

I told her not to be with him.

I told her he was trouble.

I told her that _She _wouldn't like it.

I guess the pain of being lonely was too great a burden.

I can only wish her the very best.

And wish him a kind demise.

…..Kurama…..

We didn't know what to do with Hiei now that he had gone completely mad. Perhaps she did take over his mind. Perhaps she can still control him through her prison. Whatever happened to him must be dealt with as soon as possible.

And what was strange is that, I felt as if I knew her from before. I didn't quite get a good look at her face, I was much too concerned over Hiei's well-being, and I haven't even been in the same room as her until today. Though this is true, I know I've met her somewhere before. I wasn't sure how, but it was the same familiarity from that girl at the convention. And that girl knew me, or should I say, she knew my other half. The question is… Where? When? What did she know of Yoko Kurama?

But these are questions for another time. Right now, Hiei should be my greatest concern at the moment. After all, he did nearly kill two members of the SDF on his own.

When he finally came to, Lord Koenma was present with us in the infirmary. His anger was apparent on his features, his face red.

"THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Koenma wasted no time reprimanding Hiei. "You IDIOT! She could have made you kill all of us!"

"Hn. I see no problem with that." Hiei sat up, making sure to make his statement as bold and as curt as he could towards the ruler.

"You have no idea what she's capable of, and you go and break your only life line! We have communicators for a reason, Hiei! She could've killed you!"

"And what _point _are you trying to make exactly?" He snapped back at Koenma. Though Hiei is brash and his mannerisms are that of a recluse, he has never been one to throw caution to the wind the way he did. He would never allow the enemy any sort of advantage over him if he can help it. So what changed? What made him want to approach her without any sort of way to call in for backup?

Then there is the question of when she might've brainwashed him, and why it hasn't worked on any of the other staff. What was the purpose of taking over Hiei's mind? Was it because he was much more powerful? If that were the case, it would be much more logical to turn the loyalties of a lesser demon, it would've been much easier. We would've had to take precautions and he might retain his memories of the layout of the entire Spirit Realm castle, and how to get her back to the demonic plane. In fact, her care taker, that teenager, would've been an excellent choice for her.

So, why Hiei? And how did she do it?

The talismans that she had been covered with and the energy draining power of her chains would've been able to deal with any sort of power flux she would've needed to even be able to lift her pinky finger.

"Hiei, we're just saying that we were very concerned for you. The way she had easily taken over your mind was a surprise to us. We didn't think that she would be able to conjure any sort of ability she may have. The equipment made short work of her demonic energy." I tried to explain to him.

"Hn, stupid fools. There was no way for her to take over my mind. What happened in there was a momentary laps of judgment." Hiei was trying to avoid questioning. I can tell.

" 'Lapse of judgment?' What the hell kind of excuse is that?" Koenma started up again.

"Hn." He was refusing to answer. Whatever happened seemed to have spooked him, though he would never admit it, but I can't help the feeling that there's more to it than that. I feel as if there's a huge piece of the puzzle that's missing, and it has everything to do with that girl. However, what it is, I have no idea, and I'm sure she has all the answers to my questions, but whether or not she'll talk is a different matter entirely.

Hiei abruptly got up and started to put his cloak back on. "Are we finished? I have things to do back in the demon world that I had to take care of before you called me in with this ridiculous request to question your so called Blue Moon Maiden. Call me back when you have something useful for me to do."

"FINE! Go ahead and run back to Mukuro for all I care! I still have three days to question her! I don't need you to relay any answers to me you no good fire breathing lunatic! We were better off without you anyway!" Koenma was throwing a bit of a tantrum over Hiei's incompliance, completely frustrated over the matter.

I noticed Hiei had stopped midway to the door before looking back at the child ruler. "… What do you mean by "three days"?" He asked very coldly.

"Well, if you were here sooner, you'd know that her execution date has already been set."

"What?" I was startled. "Who decided this?"

"My father was adamant about getting rid of her before the fulfillment of the prophecy, but for some reason he kept putting off the date more and more since we got her. The fact of the matter is, he wants her as dead as a door nail as soon as possible before Arare decides to awaken."

I heard the door slam, Hiei had just walked out.

…..Hiei…..

_Three days?_

_Execution?_

_What is going on?_

After leaving the fools to talk amongst themselves like babbling idiots, I walked to Dr. Hazard's observation room above Sitsumi's holding cell. I didn't know why, or what I was going to do, but I felt the need to go anyway.

I saw Dr. Hazard working on some sort of machine when I walked in. He didn't stop his attention on whatever he was working on.

"To what do I owe such an honor as to have the presence of the child of fire and ice?" The good doctor chuckled at his own statement, not at all helping my already rather foul mood.

"I need every piece of information you have on the girl." I wasted no time demanding what I wanted.

"And who, Forbidden Child, gave you the authority for such a request? I'm sure you can understand that I can't just give away my research notes to just anybody. This will be the last time anyone will get to experiment on such a fine specimen. I wouldn't want anyone else to get a hold of my work." He chuckled again. Forgive me for not seeing what was so funny.

"Pft. I'm not here to steal your precious research, old man. I came here for answers."

He finally looked back at me from the corner of his beady eyes on that burnt orange face. It sickened me to look at him. "Is that so?" That awkward smile he put on made my toes curl in disgust. Whatever he was thinking, I know I wouldn't like it. He put the tools he was handling aside and moved toward a filing cabinet. He flipped through the many documents then proceeded to gently take out a manila folder. He tucked it under his arm and made his way towards me. "So, you want to know more about the pretty little gem in the chamber do you?" His chuckles at the end of nearly every sentence started to aggravate me. "Why not?" That sleazy smile on his face slowly grew with each word until his squashed face was overtaken by it from ear to ear. He reached the documents out to me. "Go ahead, Lord Hiei. Take them." He said Lord sarcastically, taunting me with his words and the papers that he held. "I'm sure you'll find everything you need."

I quickly snatched the documents from his hands, flipping through the pages, not sure exactly what I was looking for. That is, until I looked at the number of souls they had found inside of her body.

It read only one.

…..Yusuke…..

I was tired of his royal diaper rash and calling me in at three in the fucking morning just to clean up some mess that some human or demon made to try and take over this or destroy that. I think they take a kick out of ruining my life.

When I was halfway to Koenma's office, I saw Hiei walking down the hallway coming right at me.

I took one of my hands out of my pocket and raised it to say hello. "Hey, Hiei! What's going… HEY!" He walked right past me, not even glancing in my direction. "Who shit in your ramen cup?" My mood turned from irritated to sour once Lord of all sticks shoved up his ass decided to be a dick. Though not entirely surprising. He certainly looked pissed off.

I sighed, as I finally got to Koenma's office. My temper already at a short fuse. I kicked in the door, not taking my hands out of my pockets. "Alright, Binky breath. What ya want? It's three in the fucking morning and I had to stay up with the kids yesterday, there had better be a good fucking reason why I'm here."

"I'm glad you could make it, Yusuke." The pacifier bobbed up and down in Koenma's mouth as he stamped through the files on his desk. "For one, I need you to take over Kurama's shift. He's been at it for three days now. I'm sure he could use a rest. Not to mention I have a few errands for him to run down in the Demon world tomorrow. The other reason that I called you here is because my father has finally set the execution date, and he wants you to be one of the escorts for the Aoitsuki."

"Is this a joke? Why would your dad want me to escort that chick?" Yusuke crossed his arms.

"No joke. He said that he needed to make sure that she's detained throughout the entire procedure with any necessary means. And one of those means is have you with the SDF." Koenma answered before calling one of his ogres to file the papers he had just stamped.

I snorted in disapproval before putting my hands behind my head. "Whatever. So where's that creepy Doctor? He's the one I have to look after right?"

"He'll be in the control room next to the test chamber where the Aoitsuki is. And ask for directions if you get lost this time, Yusuke. I don't want a repeat of last week." Koenma scolded the detective before getting back to his papers.

"Alright, alright, sheesh. Guy can't get lost once in a while anymore."

"Thanks for taking my shift, Yusuke." Kurama walked over after finally finishing his rounds around the test chamber. He gave the detective a smile.

"No problem, fox boy. I got it covered." Yusuke gave Kurama a thumbs up.

"I never would've doubted your capability in the first place, Yusuke. Well. I should be on my way. You know how Naoko is."

"Yeah, seriously, her hormones are all kinds of jacked up when she's pregnant."

Kurama chuckled lightly at the comment, then started to head for the door when suddenly the alarm for the Aoitsuki's holding chambers started to blare. The sirens were deafening as they alerted all the occupants, the pounding glare of the lights painted every hall and room in red.

Kurama stood back form the door and sighed before running to the holding chamber, Yusuke running behind him.

"What do you think happened?" Yusuke asked, nearly missing the turn when Kurama bolted left.

"I'm not sure, but it can't be good if she's involved in this." Kurama was breathless winding through the hallways and down the flights of stairs to try and get to the holding cell. He had no idea what expect.

…..Hiei…..

I ran in front of the others when the sirens went off without them even realizing, and for once… I really wish I hadn't.

Everywhere I looked, there was blood sliding down the walls. Dried, wet, smeared in all directions. The stench was overwhelming, unbearable, the smell of iron was thick in the air. Coming into a room that was filled with nothing but dead bodies littering the floors with their hearts torn out was nothing less than gruesome. I could only stand there and stare at the carnage. The sole of my boots were slick with the red liquid. It was rivers and rivers of it still streaming from the veins, still pooling to the floor, still warm from their deceased hosts.

I felt… so sick.

Every face I looked upon was contorted in pain and horror, their last breath ending in screams of torture. And then there were some… that had… missing parts.

Holes were taken in the places of noses and eyes and ears and hair and jaws. Fingers broken, bones showing, limbs torn, hair spread, eyes wide, eyes closed, hands reaching, ligaments stiff, bodies limp…

I took a step, feeling something hard click beneath my boot. I took back that step in anxiety of what I was to see… a broken piece of skull bone. The hair stuck to the ground, pinned by the heavy weight of the slick red that surrounded me.

I felt a thick wet glob of… fall on my head, making me look up. Even with all the blood shed I've seen and created, there was nothing in this or the next world that could ever prepare me for what I saw hanging above me. Why didn't I see the crimson rain before? I saw the ripped organs of the blood soaked bodies covering the once innocently white tint of the glass ceiling. Each bleeding heart, cut intestines, stripped stomachs, were held there by thousands of tiny knives shivering in ice. Carefully placed and sloppy like the work of a child's trembling hands, taking a thick red marker and painting the ceiling… shaped into a smile, the lines thick from the paint that was used, sprinkled with the caress of absolute madness. The eyes were shaped and twisted and knotted and staring… the eyes of some sort of sick child looking at the ants it killed.

I heard the detective cough up what little remained in his stomach. I backed out, wanting to get away from the awful stench of rotting flesh.

She had gone too far.

I flitted to different parts of the castle, trying to find her, knowing that I should end it. She is not who she pretended to be, a sweet naïve and innocent human girl. No. I will not be fooled again. Whatever she is, she is not a part of any of the three worlds. Her blood thirst is just as unquenchable as mine was. The next time I see her, I'll kill her. Someone as dangerous as her should not be allowed to live. Not while I'm around.

I already knew where she would be heading. The portal to the demon plane is three floors above us. I have to get there before she does, or we will all suffer the same fate as those in the white coats.

…..Kurama…..

I couldn't believe what I saw.

All of those people. Every scientist who was under Dr. Hazard… had been killed. The brutal and indiscriminate way they've been mangled was… just gruesome. I just don't know how to describe it.

Once Hiei had left the room, I quickly followed with Yusuke in tow. Where Hiei was going, I had no clue. He vanished once we were outside the containment room, but if I had to guess, he was going after her. I knew exactly where she would be heading. The portal to the demon realm. Whatever it takes, we cannot let her go through.

I turned to Yusuke to see if he was ready to go. He was bent over, deeply breathing, possibly to clear the stench of the room from his lungs. He looked up at me, and never had I seen such anger in his eyes. The fury that was there was substantial. Before I could say anything, he ran off in the direction of the portal.

I would've gone after him if I hadn't remembered Dr. Hazard. I wasn't sure if I saw him in the room, and to be honest, I don't want to go back in there to look. I quickly headed to the control room, dreading what I was about to see. When I tried to open the door, it was locked. I rammed it with my shoulder a few times, but was still unable to get it open. I pulled out my rose whip to see if I could cut through.

I raised my hand to strike, but a heard a faint click, coming from the door. I tried my hand at the knob again… and the door was definitely open. The slight creak of the hinges were eerie to say the least, but I trickled in anyway. The room was bathed in a red glow from the emergency lights over head. I could barely find my way through the small cramped room. There were chairs overturned, filing cabinets crushed into the wall, papers littering the floor. I had no clue what to think, but I already had a feeling that the good doctor was no longer with us.

I was finally able to make out a silhouette of a person on top of the control panel. Dr. Hazard's face was turned towards me, his mouth agape, eyes wide and panicked, unmoving; he was definitely dead. I walked over to take a better look. I could finally smell the drying blood that came from him. It covered the control panel, oozing to the floor. I noticed his arm was outstretched towards the emergency button. He was the one who pushed it. He must have died immediately after all the other scientists. I turned the body over to see if he had left anything behind that might help us stop her.

Once I took a look at the back of his head, I tore my hand away, and looked up to the adjacent wall. There, hanging off the wall, trickling blood to the floor, pinned there by a pick of ice, was the brain of Dr. Hazard. Scribed in blood underneath it was the word "Brainless".

I heard something scuffle just outside the door, making me turn to look. There in the doorway was a tiny slip of a girl, drenched in blood. Her hair dripping with the liquid as her crystalline blue eyes were alight with amusement and her face was contorted to a wide and crazed smile, giggling at, what was no doubt, her handiwork. And as I looked at her, I felt realization creeping up on me, a horrible dread that overtook me.

Before I could act, the door to the control room slammed shut, leaving me with the flash of red light, and a brainless Dr. Hazard.

…..Hiei…..

I had no time to aid the injured that crossed my path. I could only follow the trail of blood and ice that trailed after her. I could not stop for those who may have been dying or asking for help. I couldn't help those who were aiding the crippled mess of people she left in her wake. I won't let anything stop me. I don't know what happened to them, I just know, she was responsible for it. And once I finally got to the portal to the demon realm, all I had to do was sit and wait. It didn't take long for her to catch up to me, how I had gotten in front of her, I had no idea, but this ends now.

I could see her in the hallway that lead to the Portal Chamber. Her right hand was sliding along the wall with the slightest touch of her fingertips… I could smell the blood. We faced each other, My stance firm and unyielding. Her presence… simply frightening. The freezing cold she brought with her chilled the very marrow of my bones, whipping the my hair in all directions. Her glittering ice blue eyes showed no fear, no remorse, hardly a glimmer of her former self. Is this the outcome of the experimenting, or is this what she was truly hiding within herself for so long?

She walked slowly towards me, that smile of deep satisfaction framed her face, her eyes wild with excitement, and anger, and joy. I could see her breath fogging in the current of wind coming from behind her, blowing into my face, making the temperature so much harder to resist succumbing to.

I stood firmly still, not allowing the bite of the wind to turn me over. I don't care what it takes, I can face her myself, alone. I needn't any help… from anyone. The only obstacle she had yet to bat away was me, and I will not let her pass.

Her steps were staggering but straight. Her goal was what lie behind me, the gates to Demon World. She'll be free to do her bidding. No turning back, no remorse. She won't stop until everything was dead. I couldn't let her pass.

We were now just a few feet apart, my hand ready at the hilt of my sword. If I have to cut her down, I will. Not for the sake of humanity, but the sake of honoring my sister's life and her children's lives. No woman should be worth that. Not even her. If she is the coming of the destruction of all three worlds, I shouldn't hesitate to kill her. I have to remember that everything that I do now has to be for them. If anything were to happen to any of them… I would never be able to live with myself. I have to stop her from passing.

She stopped in front of me, our clouds of breath intermingling with one another. The wild tortured soul in her eyes had vanished, the demented smile that she wore… was gone. Replaced by a sad and lonesome figure, in dirty, bloodied cloth, shivering uncontrollably in the wind that she, herself, had created. Her limp inky black hair whipped about her in spirals, her now turquoise blue depths glimmered with tears threatening to fall. Her cheeks red with blood, her lips a pale and sickly blue. She wrapped her arms around me, allowing me the perfect chance to run her through.

But I didn't.

She pressed her frozen frame closer to mine, seeming to leech from my own body heat. Her shivering dying down slowly, as if the burning fire within me was giving life back to her.

I didn't move.

When she finally had the sense to release me, she looked up into my eyes letting me see into the black depths of her soul. She smiled slowly, a tear finally spilling over, quickly turning into ice from the frigid temperature in the hallway.

A shuddering breath escaped.

She gently laid her delicate little hands onto my chest as she closed her eyes, the lashes dusting her cheeks, bringing with it more tears to fall and shatter. She raised herself to the balls of her feet, to the height of my stature.

I suddenly couldn't breathe.

Her frozen blue lips finally pressed themselves against my own, sealing the two of us together for just a moment in time. Letting our souls intertwine just once more, seeping into the other's hollow shell. Every thought of killing her gone. Everything that I felt, the rage, the hurt, the confusion, all of it left me.

I lifted my hands to her waist.

I wanted to hold her in my arms again, to lift her and quiet her, and comfort her, but before I had a chance to cradle her to my form… she stepped away, leaving me breathless, hollow, and cold. Before I could react, she walked past me into the gates of the demonic realm.

I didn't look back to see her go.

I stood my ground as I watched the others come to my aid. Though now it is too late to stop her. It was too late to do anything.

I had let her go.

And all I feel is numb.


End file.
